Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Theorizing about Syntax: Independent Thinking and Motivated Reasoning

Theorizing about Syntax: Independent Thinking and Motivated Reasoning

Li, Yafei

Hardcover

General Reference

PREORDER - Expected ship date September 30, 2026

ISBN10: 1009428764
ISBN13: 9781009428767
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: Sep 30 2026
Pages: 226
Language: English
Taking a new look at some widely accepted analyses of such syntactic patterns as minimality, head-movement, and LF, this book offers alternative theories while still working within the general Universal Grammar framework. It is the first of its kind to present an explicit and candid examination of how Motivated Reasoning (MR), the psychological tendency to substitute emotional reward for cold reasoning, affects the formulation and assessment of new ideas. Actual cases are used to illustrate the role of MR in the (subconscious) collection and interpretation of language data, and the association of such practices with theorization. It is also highlighted that the relation between MR and independent thinking is a double-edged sword, capable of either suppressing ideas not 'to one's taste' or facilitating the formulation of new ideas unique to each individual researcher. Covering a range of technical and meta-theoretical topics, this book is essential reading for theoretical syntacticians.

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