The future of exemplar theory

Exemplar theory assumes people store detailed traces of previously encountered stimuli. While exemplar theory exists independently of cognitive linguistics and the usage-based model, the development of this theory coincided with parallel developments in cognitive linguistics. This chapter focuses on exemplar theory as it exists within usage-based models. It describes the context in which exemplar theory developed and how it came to be incorporated into the usage-based model. How exemplar theory explains language is addressed, and new pathways for linguistic research following exemplar theory are discussed. A crucial issue regarding the nature of language storage in memory is the level of acoustic detail. A significant debate within exemplar theory is the nature of abstractions. A matter of crucial importance is how data on acquisition support an exemplar theoretic approach and vice versa.