Cognitive and geographic constraints on morphosyntactic variation

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 30-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeroen Claes
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Models ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Central Spain ◽  
Cognitive Constraints ◽  
Typical Action ◽  
Variation Patterns ◽  
Competition Hypothesis ◽  
Generalized Additive Mixed Models ◽  
Additive Mixed Models ◽  
Peninsular Spanish

Abstract In this paper, I examine whether the variation patterns of haber pluralization (e.g., hubo/hubieron fiestas ‘there was/were parties’) in Peninsular Spanish corroborate the hypothesis elaborated in earlier work that the phenomenon constitutes a competition between two variants of the presentational construction with haber that is constrained by domain-general cognitive constraints on spreading activation. In addition, this paper examines whether haber pluralization is incrementing in frequency in particular Peninsular regions and whether or not the phenomenon is spreading geographically. To meet these objectives, I analyze a dataset of more than 7,500 cases of haber + plural NP, which were culled from two publicly available data sources: the Corpus Oral y Sonoro del Español Rural (which represents only rural speakers born before the 1940s; Fernández-Ordóñez 2005-) and Twitter (which represents mainly young and middle-aged speakers). The results of a mixed-effects logistic regression analysis that tests the effects of tense, the absence/presence of negation, typical action-chain position of the noun, the regional origin of the examples, and the data sources support the competition hypothesis. This model also supports that pluralized haber is spreading westward from its epicenters (Valencia, Barcelona, and Murcia), while also incrementing in frequency in northern, eastern and southern Spain. However, its frequency appears to be declining in central Spain. A geographically more detailed, but similar picture is obtained with three generalized additive mixed models that test the effects of geography on the total dataset as well as on each of the two subcorpora.

scholarly journals THE COGNITIVE PROCESSING OF DERIVED NOUNS WITH AMBIGUOUS SUFFIXES: BEHAVIORAL AND EYEMOVEMENT STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-104
Author(s):  
Isidora Gatarić
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Mixed Models ◽  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Sentence Context ◽  
Distributed Morphology ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Generalized Additive Mixed Models ◽  
Additive Mixed Models ◽  
Movement Study

The primary aim of this research has been to investigate whether the suffix ambiguity affects the lexical processing of derived nouns in Serbian. Consequently, in the Experiment 1, the derived nouns were presented isolated to participants in the visual lexical decision task. Bearing in mind that the sentence context was important for the lexical processing, the Experiment 2 was designed as an eye-movement study with the sentences (with derived nouns from the Experiment 1) as stimuli. To the best of our knowledge, the similar experimental study was not performed before in the Serbian language, and therefore this study represents the first attempt to investigate this phenomenon in Serbian. An identical statistical analysis was used to analyze the data collected in both experiments, the Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs). The final results of all GAMMs analyses suggested that the suffixal ambiguity did not affect the lexical processing of derived nouns in Serbian, regardless of whether they were displayed isolated or in the sentence context. The observed results supported the a-morphous perspective in the morpho-lexical processing, as well as the distributed morphology insights from the theoretical linguistics.

scholarly journals Do Daily Fluctuations in Psychological and App-Related Variables Predict Engagement With an Alcohol Reduction App? A Series of N-Of-1 Studies (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Perski ◽  
Felix Naughton ◽  
Claire Garnett ◽  
Ann Blandford ◽  
Emma Beard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Models ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Generalized Additive Mixed Models ◽  
Additive Mixed Models ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Rate Ratios ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Alcohol Reduction

BACKGROUND Previous studies have identified psychological and smartphone app–related predictors of engagement with alcohol reduction apps at a group level. However, strategies to promote engagement need to be effective at the individual level. Evidence as to whether group-level predictors of engagement are also predictive for individuals is lacking. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine whether daily fluctuations in (1) the receipt of a reminder, (2) motivation to reduce alcohol, (3) perceived usefulness of the app, (4) alcohol consumption, and (5) perceived lack of time predicted within-person variability in the frequency and amount of engagement with an alcohol reduction app<italic>.</italic> METHODS We conducted a series of observational <italic>N</italic>-of-1 studies. The predictor variables were measured twice daily for 28 days via ecological momentary assessments. The outcome variables were measured through automated recordings of the participants’ app screen views. A total of nine London-based adults who drank alcohol excessively and were willing to set a reduction goal took part. Each participant’s dataset was analyzed separately using generalized additive mixed models to derive incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for the within-person associations of the predictor and outcome variables. Debriefing interviews, analyzed using thematic analysis, were used to contextualize the findings. RESULTS Predictors of the frequency and amount of engagement differed between individuals, and for the variables 'perceived usefulness of the app' and 'perceived lack of time', the direction of associations also differed between individuals. The most consistent predictors of within-person variability in the frequency of engagement were the receipt of a daily reminder (IRR=1.80-3.88; <italic>P</italic>&lt;.05) and perceived usefulness of the app (IRR=0.82-1.42; <italic>P</italic>&lt;.05). The most consistent predictors of within-person variability in the amount of engagement were motivation to reduce alcohol (IRR=1.67-3.45; <italic>P</italic>&lt;.05) and perceived usefulness of the app (IRR=0.52-137.32; <italic>P</italic>&lt;.05). CONCLUSIONS The utility of the selected psychological and app-related variables in predicting the frequency and amount of engagement with an alcohol reduction app differed at the individual level. This highlights that key within-person associations may be masked in group-level designs and suggests that different strategies to promote engagement may be required for different individuals.

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