Peter Gordon
Associate Professor of Speech & Language Pathology and Program Coordinator, Neuroscience and Education
212-678-8162
Personal Website
Office Hours: By Appointment
Office Location: 1152 Thorndike Hall
Expertise
- Cognitive Development
- Language Acquisition
- Languages
- Neurosciences
Peter Gordon
Professional Background
Educational Background
B.A. (Hons) in Psychology, University of Stirling (Scotland)
Ph.D. in Psychology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Scholarly Interests
Language acquisition and processing, Developmental Neuroscience of Language and Cognition, Cross-cultural studies of numerical cognition and linguistic knowledge. Infant event representations and verb argument structure, Behavioral Genetics of Language, Magnetic Resonance Imaging of brain functioning in language processing.
Field Research
Piraha villages, Maici River, Amazonia, Brazil: June 1991; June - August 1992; June 1993. Kadiweu reservation, Matto Grosso do Sul, Brazil: August, 1995
Selected Publications
Publications
Miozzo, M. & Gordon, P. (2005). Facts, events and inflection: When language and memory dissociate, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 17, 1074-1086.
Ganger, J., Dunn, S. & Gordon, P. (2005) Genes take over when the input fails: Findings from a twin study of the passive. Online proceedings of the 27th Boston University Conference on Language Development.
Miozzo, M. & Gordon, P. (In press, 2005) Facts, Events and Inflection: When Language and Memory Dissociate, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.
Gordon, P. (2005) Author's Response to "Crying Whorf". Science, 307, 1722.
Gordon, P. (2004) Numerical Cognition without Words: Evidence from Amazonia. Science, 306, 496-499. First appeared in Science Express, online publication
Gordon, P. (2004) Supplementary online materials to "Numerical Cognition without Words: Evidence from
Gordon, P. (2003) The origin of argument structure in infant event representations. Proceedings of the 26th
Gordon, P. & Alegre, M. (1999) Is there a dual system for regular inflections? Brain and Language. 68 , 212-217.
Alegre, M. & Gordon, P. (1999) Rule-Based Versus Associative Processes in Derivational Morphology. Brain and Language. 68, 347-354
Alegre, M. & Gordon, P. (1999) Frequency effects and the representational status of regular inflections. Journal of Memory and Language, 40, 41-61.
Sandalo F. & Gordon, P. (1999). Acquisition and creolization of Condition C "violations" in Kadiweu and Portuguese. Cadernos de Estudos Linguisticos , 36.
Krackow, E. & Gordon, P. (1998). Are lions and tigers substitutes or associates? Evidence against slot filler accounts of children's early categorization. Child Development, 69, 347-354.
Chung, T.R. & Gordon, P. (1998). The Acquisition of Chinese Dative Constructions. Procedings of the 22nd
Sandalo F. & Gordon, P. (1997). Acquisition and creolization of Condition C "violations" in Kadiweu and Portuguese. Procedings of the 21st
Gordon, P. (1996). The truth-value judgment task. In D. McDaniel, C. McKee, H. Cairns (Eds.) Methods for assessing children's syntax.
Alegre, M. & Gordon, P. (1996). Red rats eater exposes recursion in children's word formation. Cognition, 60, 65-82.
Gordon, P. (1994). Level-ordering in lexical development. In P. Bloom (Ed.) Language Acquisition: Core
Gordon, P. & Chafetz, J. (1991). Verb-based vs. class-based accounts of actionality effects in children's comprehension of the passive. Cognition, 36, 227-254.
Gordon, P. (1990). Learnability and feedback. Developmental Psychology, 26, 217-220.
Gordon, P. (1989). Levels of affixation in the acquisition of English morphology. Journal of Memory and Language, 28, 519-530.
Gordon, P. (1988). Count/mass category acquisition: Distributional distinctions in children's speech. Journal of Child Language, 15, 109-128.
Gordon, P. (1986). Level-ordering in lexical development. Cognition, 21, 73‑93.
Gordon, P. (1985). Evaluating the semantic categories hypothesis: The case of the count/mass distinction. Cognition, 20, 209-242.
grants
office location
active professional organizations
American Psychological Society (APA)
Association for Psychological Science (APS)
American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA)
Society for Research in Child Language Disorders (SRCLD)
Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)
International Society for Infant Studies (ISIS)
International Association for the Study of Child Language (IASCL)
Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS)
Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas (SSILA)
principal publications
Ganger, J., Dunn, S. & Gordon, P. (2005) Genes take over when the input fails: Findings from a twin study of the passive. Online proceedings of the 27th Boston University Conference on Language Development.
Miozzo, M. & Gordon, P. (2005) Facts, Events and Inflection: When Language and Memory Dissociate, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 17, 7, 1074-1086.
Gordon, P. (2005) Author's Response to "Crying Whorf". Science, 307, 1722.
Gordon, P. (2004) Numerical Cognition without Words: Evidence from Amazonia. Science, 306, 496-499. First appeared in Science Express, online publication
Gordon, P. (2004) Supplementary online materials to "Numerical Cognition without Words: Evidence from
Gordon, P. (2003) The origin of argument structure in infant event representations. Proceedings of the 26th
Gordon, P. & Alegre, M. (1999) Is there a dual system for regular inflections? Brain and Language. 68 , 212-217.
Alegre, M. & Gordon, P. (1999) Rule-Based Versus Associative Processes in Derivational Morphology. Brain and Language. 68, 347-354
Alegre, M. & Gordon, P. (1999) Frequency effects and the representational status of regular inflections. Journal of Memory and Language, 40, 41-61.
Sandalo F. & Gordon, P. (1999). Acquisition and creolization of Condition C "violations" in Kadiweu and Portuguese. Cadernos de Estudos Linguisticos , 36. Campinas, Brazil: Departamento de Linguistica, Universidade Estadual de Campinas.
Krackow, E. & Gordon, P. (1998). Are lions and tigers substitutes or associates? Evidence against slot filler accounts of children's early categorization. Child Development, 69, 347-354.
Chung, T.R. & Gordon, P. (1998). The Acquisition of Chinese Dative Constructions. Procedings of the 22nd
Sandalo F. & Gordon, P. (1997). Acquisition and creolization of Condition C "violations" in Kadiweu and Portuguese. Procedings of the 21st
Gordon, P. (1996). The truth-value judgment task. In D. McDaniel, C. McKee, H. Cairns (Eds.) Methods for assessing children's syntax.
Alegre, M. & Gordon, P. (1996). Red rats eater exposes recursion in children's word formation. Cognition, 60, 65-82.
Gordon, P. (1994). Level-ordering in lexical development. In P. Bloom (Ed.) Language Acquisition: Core
Gordon, P. & Chafetz, J. (1991). Verb-based vs. class-based accounts of actionality effects in children's comprehension of the passive. Cognition, 36, 227-254.
Gordon, P. (1990). Learnability and feedback. Developmental Psychology, 26, 217-220.
Gordon, P. (1989). Levels of affixation in the acquisition of English morphology. Journal of Memory and Language, 28, 519-530.
Gordon, P. (1988). Count/mass category acquisition: Distributional distinctions in children's speech. Journal of Child Language, 15, 109-128.
Gordon, P. (1986). Level-ordering in lexical development. Cognition, 21, 73‑93.
Gordon, P. (1985). Evaluating the semantic categories hypothesis: The case of the count/mass distinction. Cognition, 20, 209-242.
honors and awards
Lilly Endowment Teaching Fellowship to Peter Gordon, 1987-1988.
Sloan Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Cognitive Science to Peter Gordon, Sloan Foundation.
HUDK 5024: Language development
Survey of research and theory in the development of language, beginning with communication and the origins of language in infancy and emphasizing acquisition of the forms of language in relation to their content and use.
BBSQ 5941: Research needs and methods in speech-language pathology and audiology
Permission required. Prerequisite: BBSQ 5940. Required of first-year doctoral students. Development of rationales for doctoral dissertations and projects.
BBSQ 6514: Language: Brain, biology and language acquisition
Permission required. For doctoral candidates and advanced masters degree students in speech-language pathology. Doctoral candidates are required to enroll in at least three sections. Seminars involve intensive study and analysis of current research and issues in the particular topics.
BBSN 6575: Seminar in neuroscience and education
No description is available at this time.
BBSQ 6941: Supervised research in speech-language pathology and audiology
Permission required. Prerequisite: BBSQ 5941. Doctoral candidates are required to enroll in their advisors section for both semesters. Opportunity to design and conduct pilot studies and projects.
Documents & Papers
Alegre, M. & Gordon, P. (1999) Rule-Based Versus Associative Processes in Derivational Morphology. Brain and Language. 68, 347-354
Download: Alegre & Gordon Deriv Gangs B&L [PDF]
Alegre, M. & Gordon, P. (1999) Frequency effects and the representational status of regular inflections. Journal of Memory and Language, 40, 41-61.
Download: Alegre & Gordon Freq Infl JML 1999 [PDF]
Alegre, M. & Gordon, P. (1996). Red rats eater exposes recursion in children’s word formation. Cognition, 60, 65-82.
Download: Alegre & Gordon Red Rats Eater 1996 Cogn [PDF]
Miozzo, M. & Gordon, P. (In press, 2005) Facts, Events and Inflection: When Language and Memory Dissociate, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.
Download: Miozzo & Gordon Facts Events and Inflection [PDF]
Chung, T.R. & Gordon, P. (1998). The Acquisition of Chinese Dative Constructions. Procedings of the 22nd Boston University Conference on Language Development. Sommerville, Mass: Cascadilla Press
Download: Chung & Gordon Chinese Datives BU 98 [PDF]
Download: Miozzo & Gordon CNS 2003 Poster
Paper prepared in 1999, not published. Do not cite without permission
Download: Why Compounds Researchers aren't Rats Eaters: [Word]
This movie shows a Piraha participant using fingers and Piraha count words to enumerate quantities
Download: Piraha Counting Movie
Gordon, P. (2005) Author’s Response to “Crying Whorf”. Science, 307, 1722
Download: Cassanto Letter + Response [PDF]
The Acquisition of Syntactic Categories The Case of the Count/Mass Distinction PhD dissertation from MIT (1982) Advisor: Susan Carey
Download: PhD Dissertation [PDF]
Download: BU paper on Infant Event Reps [PDF]
Ganger, J., Dunn, S. & Gordon, P. (To be published, 2005) Genes take over when the input fails: Findings from a twin study of the passive. Online proceedings of the 27th Boston University Conference on Language Development
Download: Ganger, Dunn & Gordon Genes take over BU 2004 [PDF]
This file contains a video of eye tracking on a 12 mnth old viewing the GIVE w/ and GIVE w/o videos in PGs event structure experiments
Download: 12 month old Eye tracking GIVE
Gordon, P. & Alegre, M. (1999) Is there a dual system for regular inflections? Brain and Language. 68 , 212-217.
Download: Gordon & Alegre 1999 Reg Infl B&L [PDF]
Download: Gordon & Chafetz Cogn 1991 Passives [PDF]
Download: Cognition Count Mass [PDF]
Gordon, P. (1989). Levels of affixation in the acquisition of English morphology. Journal of Memory and Language, 28, 519-530.
Download: Gordon 1989 JML Levels of affix [PDF]
Download: Gordon Cogn Level Ordering [PDF]
Gordon & Miozzo (in press, 2007) Cognitive Psychology
Download: Can word formation be understood or understanded by meanin alone? [PDF]
Gordon, P. (2004) Numerical Cognition without Words: Evidence from Amazonia. Science, 306, 496-499. First appeared in Science Express, online publication August 16th 2004.
Download: Gordon Science Number 2004 [PDF]
This file contains a video of eye tracking on a 12 mnth old viewing the HUG w/ and HUG w/o videos in PGs event structure experiments
Download: 12 month old Eye tracking HUG
Sandalo F. & Gordon, P. (1997). Acquisition and creolization of Condition C “violations” in Kadiweu and Portuguese. Procedings of the 21st Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development. Sommerville, Mass: Cascadilla Press.
Download: Sandalo&Gordon Kadiweu BU 1997 [PDF]
Piraha participant attempts to imitate the number of knocks
Download: Knocking movie
Download: Learnability and Feedback [PDF]
Download: Lions & Tigers [PDF]
Download: Miozzo & Gordon Facts Events and Inflection [PDF]
Download: Peter & Gordon [Image]
Various scenes from everyday Piraha village
Download: Piraha River & Vlg Scenes
Gordon, P. (1996). The truth-value judgement task. In D. McDaniel, C. McKee, H. Cairns (Eds.) Methods for assessing children's syntax. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
Download: Gordon 1996 Truth Value Task [PDF]
Download: Principle publications [Word]
Centers and Projects
Website: http://www.tc.edu/centers/lcl
The Language and Cognition Lab at Teachers College examines:
1) Relationships between language and thought from both developmental and adult perspectives.
2) Numerical cognition and representation in adults.
