{"pk":49639,"title":"Learn What is Detectable, Detect What is Useful","subtitle":null,"abstract":"Many computational models of morphology represent complex words by n-grams to account for lexical processing and acquisition. However, while n-gram models are simple and efficient, they are not without problems. From a cognitive perspective, it is unclear how n-gram words are represented in the mental lexicon and how these representations affect language use and acquisition. From a computational perspective, these models are problematic because n-gram representations are often ambiguous and redundant: they make very limited use of distributional information and neglect the role of efficiency and sequential processing in language use and acquisition. In this paper, we present a new computational approach to morphology that is cognitively more plausible than standard n-gram models. By analyzing data from the nominal number system in German, we show that a task-specific algorithm of linear processing guided by the principles of efficiency and reliability outperforms state-of-the-art n-gram models and also makes predictions about lexical processing that are consistent with the judgments of German native speakers in a psycholinguistic experiment.","language":"eng","license":{"name":"","short_name":"","text":null,"url":""},"keywords":[{"word":"Linguistics; Language acquisition; Learning; Bayesian modeling; Computer-based experiment"}],"section":"Papers with Poster Presentation","is_remote":true,"remote_url":"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1rw3t5zg","frozenauthors":[{"first_name":"Sergei","middle_name":"","last_name":"Monakhov","name_suffix":"","institution":"Friedrich Schiller University Jena","department":""},{"first_name":"Holger","middle_name":"","last_name":"Diessel","name_suffix":"","institution":"Department of English","department":""},{"first_name":"Brisca","middle_name":"","last_name":"Balthes","name_suffix":"","institution":"Saarland University","department":""}],"date_submitted":null,"date_accepted":null,"date_published":"2025-01-01T18:00:00Z","render_galley":null,"galleys":[{"label":"PDF","type":"pdf","path":"https://journalpub.escholarship.org/cognitivesciencesociety/article/49639/galley/37601/download/"}]}