Previous research has shown a relationship between robust neural encoding of speech by the auditory brainstem and children's phonological abilities. Two areas of brainstem encoding this work has included are the ABR dimensions of consistency, or how similar responses are to a repeated stimulus, and differentiation, or the degree to which responses to different stimuli differ. Phonology has been routinely measured via standardized tests, however, which are designed to assess particular phonological abilities, but may not provide a realistic picture of online use of phonology in speech processing. As speech unfolds in time, lexical candidates compete for recognition; eye-tracking can be employed to record eye movements during a lexical access to examine this process. In this project, the relationship between brainstem neural encoding of speech and eye movements during a lexical access task was examined. Children were asked to find a word referent among an array of four pictures including a representation of the target, phonological cohort competitors, rhyming words, and phonologically unrelated objects. Findings show that more differentiated neural encoding, in the absence of consistent encoding, may reduce competition between phonological cohort members during lexical access, while the opposite, less differentiated encoding in the presence of highly consistent neural responses, may reduce competition for rhyming words. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]