Robert Kluender

About

Robert Kluender is a Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Department Chair in the Department of Linguistics at UC San Diego. His research focuses on sentence processing using neurolinguistic methods, specifically event-related brain potentials (ERP). He investigates the grammatical status and processing profile of sentences with 'long-distance' dependencies, such as relative clauses and wh-questions. His work contributes to understanding the neural mechanisms underlying language comprehension and the structural aspects of syntax.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Natural Language Processing
• Artificial Intelligence
• Philosophy
• Linguistics
• Cognitive psychology
• Neuroscience
• Psychology

Selected publications

• Psycholinguistics Electrified II (1994–2005)

  Elsevier eBooks · 2006-01-01 · 495 citations

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• Experimental Syntax and Island Effects

  Cambridge University Press eBooks · 2013-10-05 · 247 citations

  book

  This volume brings together cutting-edge experimental research from leaders in the fields of linguistics and psycholinguistics to explore the nature of a phenomenon that has long been central to syntactic theory - 'island effects'. The chapters in this volume draw upon recent methodological advances in experimental methods in syntax, also known as 'experimental syntax', to investigate the underlying cognitive mechanisms that give rise to island effects. This volume presents a comprehensive empir…

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• Rethinking the critical period for language: New insights into an old question from American Sign Language

  Bilingualism Language and Cognition · 2017-12-26 · 199 citations

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  The hypothesis that children surpass adults in long-term second-language proficiency is accepted as evidence for a critical period for language. However, the scope and nature of a critical period for language has been the subject of considerable debate. The controversy centers on whether the age-related decline in ultimate second-language proficiency is evidence for a critical period or something else. Here we argue that age-onset effects for first vs. second language outcome are largely differe…

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• Violations of information structure: An electrophysiological study of answers to wh-questions

  Brain and Language · 2007-05-24 · 172 citations

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• Linguistic and cognitive prominence in anaphor resolution: topic, contrastive focus and pronouns

  Topoi · 2007-03-01 · 145 citations

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Recent grants

• NIH Grant R29DC002503

  NIH · $477k · 2002

Frequent coauthors

• Marta Kutas

  University of California, San Diego

  14 shared

• Maria Polinsky

  12 shared

• Nayoung Kwon

  8 shared

• Jon Sprouse

  New York University Abu Dhabi

  6 shared

• Robin L. Thompson

  University of Birmingham

  4 shared

• Mieko Ueno

  University of California, San Diego

  3 shared

• Karen Emmorey

  San Diego State University

  3 shared

• Kara D. Federmeier

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  2 shared

Labs

• Heritage Language ProgramPI

Similar researchers at University of California, San Diego

• Rachel Mayberryh-41
• Andrew Kehlerh-30
• Marc Garellekh-21