Clay Beckner

Biographic Data

ID765062
NAMEClay Beckner
GIVEN NAMESClay
FAMILY NAMEBeckner
SIGNATUREBECKNER C
AFFILIATIONSUniversity of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
ORCID0000-0002-1512-0705
VERIFIEDYes
TOTAL WORKS7
TOTAL CITATIONS114
AUTHOR COUNT7
EDITOR COUNT0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR2009
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR2020
H-INDEX2

  • Morphological convergence as on-line lexical analogy

    Open AccessPéter Rácz, Clay Beckner et al.ARTICLELanguage2020

    The English past tense contains pockets of variation, where regular and irregular forms compete (e.g. learned / learnt, weaved / wove ). Individuals vary considerably in the degree to which they prefer irregular forms. This article examines the degree to which individuals may converge on their regularization patterns and preferences. We report on a novel experimental methodology, using a cooperative game involving nonce verbs. Analysis of partici…

  • Morphological convergence as on-line lexical analogy: Supplementary materials

    Péter Rácz, Clay Beckner et al.ARTICLELanguage2020

    In this supplementary information, we detail (1) the structure of our nonce verb stimuli, (2) the setup of the Generalized Context Model (GCM) and (3) the Minimal Generalization Learner (MGL), and (4) how these models compare.We illustrate the models using fits on our baseline data.We also discuss model selection in analysing our regression data (5), how the two learning models compare on our baseline data (6), and how they compare on our ESP pos…

  • Morphological convergence as on-line lexical analogy

    Péter Rácz, Clay Beckner et al.ARTICLELanguage2020

    The English past-tense contains pockets of variation, where regular and irregular forms compete (e.g. learned/learnt, or weaved/wove). Individuals vary considerably in the degree to which they prefer irregular forms. This paper examines the degree to which individuals may converge on their regularization patterns and preferences. We report on a novel experimental methodology, using a cooperative game involving nonce verbs. Analysis of participant…

  • Participants Conform to Humans but Not to Humanoid Robots in an English Past Tense Formation Task

    Open AccessClay Beckner, Péter Rácz et al.ARTICLEJournal of Language and Social…2016Cited by: 1References: 50

    In this article, we discuss the results of an experiment designed to test the boundaries of linguistic imitation in a group setting. While most prior work has focused on convergence in either sound structure or syntax, we investigate whether speakers' choices in verb morphology are influenced by others. The experiment uses an Asch-type peer pressure methodology. Participants give responses to target stimuli in a verbal and a visual task in a grou…

  • The Roles of Acquisition and Usage in Morphological Change

    Open AccessClay Beckner, Andrew WedelARTICLEProceedings of the Annual Meeting…2009

  • Language Is a Complex Adaptive System: Position Paper

    Open AccessClay Beckner, Richard A Blythe et al.ARTICLELanguage Learning2009Cited by: 102References: 97

    Language has a fundamentally social function. Processes of human interaction along with domain-general cognitive processes shape the structure and knowledge of language. Recent research in the cognitive sciences has demonstrated that patterns of use strongly affect how language is acquired, is used, and changes. These processes are not independent of one another but are facets of the same complex adaptive system (CAS). Language as a CAS involves …

  • A Usage-Based Account of Constituency and Reanalysis

    Open AccessClay Beckner, Joan BybeeARTICLELanguage Learning2009Cited by: 11References: 26

    Constituent structure is considered to be the very foundation of linguistic competence and often considered to be innate, yet we show here that it is derivable from the domain-general processes of chunking and categorization. Using modern and diachronic corpus data, we show that the facts support a view of constituent structure as gradient (as would follow from its source in chunking and categorization) and subject to gradual changes over time. U…