What counts as evidence in linguistics?

WHAT IS UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR?WHAT IS UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR?

A system of grammatical rules and A system of grammatical rules and constraints believed to underlie all constraints believed to underlie all natural languages natural languages

What counts as evidence for innateness claims

Species-specificity domain-specificity the logical problem of language acquisition genetic evidence Universality and topological evidence

What counts as evidence for innateness claims

Species-specificity domain-specificity the logical problem of language acquisition genetic evidence Universality and topological evidence

What counts as evidence for innateness claims

Species-specificity domain-specificity the logical problem of language acquisition genetic evidence Universality and topological evidence

What counts as evidence for innateness claims

Species-specificity domain-specificity

the logical problem of language acquisition genetic evidence Universality and topological evidence

What counts as evidence for innateness claims

Species-specificity domain-specificity

the logical problem of language acquisition genetic evidence Universality and topological evidence

What counts as evidence for innateness claims

Species-specificity domain-specificity the logical problem of language acquisition genetic evidence Universality and topological evidence

What counts as evidence for innateness claims

Species-specificity domain-specificity the logical problem of language acquisition genetic evidence

Universality and topological evidence

What counts as evidence for innateness claims

Species-specificity domain-specificity the logical problem of language acquisition genetic evidence Universality and topological evidence

Brief HistoryBrief History

Brief HistoryBrief History

The 19The 19thth century: evolutionary biology century: evolutionary biology

Brief HistoryBrief History

The 19The 19thth century: evolutionary biology century: evolutionary biology

Early 20Early 20thth century: sociology and psychology century: sociology and psychology

Brief HistoryBrief History

The 19The 19thth century: evolutionary biology century: evolutionary biology

Early 20Early 20thth century: sociology and psychology century: sociology and psychology

End of the 20End of the 20thth century: cognitive century: cognitive psychology/sciencespsychology/sciences

Popper and the principle of the falsificationPopper and the principle of the falsification

A scientist, whether theorist or experimenter, puts forward statements, or systems of statements, and tests them step by step. In the field of empirical sciences, more particularly, he constructs hypotheses, or systems of theories, and tests them against experience by observation and experiment.

Popper.

EXPERIMENTEXPERIMENT

By Johnson,By Johnson,

Ohio state university, Columbus, Ohio state university, Columbus, OhioOhio

Given sentences

For the sentences in For the sentences in table 1 this point table 1 this point should be between the should be between the 33rdrd and 4 and 4thth for list 1 for list 1 sentencessentences

.. For the list 2- between For the list 2- between the 5the 5thth and 6 and 6thth words, words,and between the 2and between the 2ndnd and 3and 3rdrd

ResultsResultsTo test the difference between the To test the difference between the

groups each S scored for the total number of groups each S scored for the total number of words given correctly for the total number of words given correctly for the total number of words given correctly across the 13 trials.words given correctly across the 13 trials.

The mean for group 1 is 337, The mean for group 1 is 337,

for group 2 is 365.for group 2 is 365.

Analysis

first phrase of the list 1 sentences. The probabilities were computed across all sentences and all Ss.

Common misconceptions concerning the Common misconceptions concerning the nature of the linguistic datanature of the linguistic data

““Psychologically real” dataPsychologically real” data

Common misconceptions concerning the Common misconceptions concerning the nature of the linguistic datanature of the linguistic data

““Psychologically real” dataPsychologically real” dataSpontaneous speech data as privileged evidenceSpontaneous speech data as privileged evidence

Common misconceptions concerning the Common misconceptions concerning the nature of the linguistic datanature of the linguistic data

““Psychologically real” dataPsychologically real” dataSpontaneous speech data as privileged evidenceSpontaneous speech data as privileged evidence

Competence data VS performance dataCompetence data VS performance data

Types of empirical dataTypes of empirical data

(i) qualitative vs. quantitative data,

(ii) direct vs. indirect evidence,

(iii) spontaneous vs. elicited data.

Types of empirical dataTypes of empirical data

(i) qualitative vs. quantitative data

(ii) direct vs. indirect evidence

(iii) spontaneous vs. elicited data

Types of empirical dataTypes of empirical data

(i) qualitative vs. quantitative data

(ii) direct vs. indirect evidence

(iii) spontaneous vs. elicited data

Types of empirical dataTypes of empirical data

(i) qualitative vs. quantitative data,

(ii) direct vs. indirect evidence,

(iii) spontaneous vs. elicited data

““Third kind” of evidenceThird kind” of evidence

……Computer modelingComputer modeling