PIECES OF MINDS IN PSYCHOLINGUISTICS - PINKER,STEVEN, WEXLER,KENNETH,AND CHOMSKY,NOAM - A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS

This is the third of a series of interviews featuring Steven Pinker, N oam Chomsky, and Kenneth Wexler, three giant figures in the fields of linguistics, psycholinguistics, and cognitive science. The first two i nterviews appeared in earlier issues of this journal (Vol. 28, Issue 4 , pp. 459-480; Vol. 29, Issue 1, pp. 85-104). Kenneth Wexler teaches a nd does his experimental work at the Massachusetts Institute of Techno logy. He is well known for his innovative work on language learnabilit y (i.e. the problem of how correct linguistic representations can be a ttained given the limited data available to the child), which has led to considerable changes in linguistic and psycholinguistic theories an d research orientations. More recently, Professor Wexler (in associati on with Hagit Borer) developed what they call a maturation theory of s yntax, suggesting basically, in opposition to the continuity hypothesi s, that the formal principles available to the child to fix his gramma r mature (i.e. different principles are available at different stages of development). In the interview, Kenneth Wexler speaks about bis lea rnability work, its origins, and how he sees linguistic and psycholing uistic research and theories today. He comments on questions about his maturational point of view in syntax development. The interview took place in Irvine (California) in May of 1988, and was subsequently revi sed. I am very grateful to Ken Wexler for his kind collaboration. Alon g with the text of the interview, the reader will find some informatio n on Professor Wexler's background as well as a selected list of his p ublications.