Abstract/Summary

Two different approaches explain how verb inflection is processed. According to the dual-mechanism (DM) approach two different mechanisms operate on verb processing: one, applies symbolic rules and adds inflectional suffixes to regular forms; the second, based on an associative memory, stores irregular forms. According to the single-mechanism approach, there is only one mechanism in charge of processing regular and irregular verbs: associative memory. Following Marcus et al.´s (1992) methodology, the present study addresses the validity of one of these two approaches in explaining how Spanish-speaking children process regular and irregular verbs. Results suggest that regular and irregular verbs are dealt with in different ways, implying that these forms are processed differently. These results seem to support the DM approach.