Don't forget the neurobiology: An experimental approach to linguistic representation [Commentary on Branigan and Pickering "An experimental approach to linguistic representation"]

Abstract

Acceptability judgments are no longer acceptable as the holy grail for testing the nature of linguistic representations. Experimental and quantitative methods should be used to test theoretical claims in psycholinguistics. These methods should include not only behavior, but also the more recent possibilities to probe the neural codes for language-relevant representations.