The Role of Prior Knowledge in Morphological Learning in an Artificial Second Language

Morphology plays a critical role in effectively using and understanding a language. Therefore, it is important to identify the factors that contribute to the success with which individuals are able to learn morphological regularities. This study explores the potential role of prior knowledge in learning derivational morphemes in an artificial language. Consistent with the Complementary Learning Systems theory, it is hypothesized that native English-speaking participants will demonstrate faster learning and consolidation for morphological regularities that are consistent with morphological structures in English as opposed to morphological regularities that are infrequent in English.