Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T07:57:48.024Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

One, two, or many mechanisms? The brain's processing of complex words

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 1999

Thomas F. Münte
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Medizinische Hochschule (Medical School) Hannover, 30623 Hannover, Germanymuente.thomas@mh-hannover.de www.mh-hannover.de/institut/neurologie/html/kognitionsphy.html
Antoni Rodriguez-Fornells
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Medizinische Hochschule (Medical School) Hannover, 30623 Hannover, Germanymuente.thomas@mh-hannover.de www.mh-hannover.de/institut/neurologie/html/kognitionsphy.html Department of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain 08035
Marta Kutas
Affiliation:
Departments of Cognitive Science and Neuroscience, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0515

Abstract

The heated debate over whether there is only a single mechanism or two mechanisms for morphology has diverted valuable research energy away from the more critical questions about the neural computations involved in the comprehension and production of morphologically complex forms. Cognitive neuroscience data implicate many brain areas. All extant models, whether they rely on a connectionist network or espouse two mechanisms, are too underspecified to explain why more than a few brain areas differ in their activity during the processing of regular and irregular forms. No one doubts that the brain treats regular and irregular words differently, but brain data indicate that a simplistic account will not do. It is time for us to search for the critical factors free from theoretical blinders.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
© 1999 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)