Competition During the Processing of Quantifier Scope Ambiguities: Evidence from Eye Movements during Reading

2008 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 459-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin B. Paterson ◽  
Ruth Filik ◽  
Simon P. Liversedge
Keyword(s):  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Wide Scope ◽  
Quantifier Scope ◽  
Grammatical Function ◽  
Scope Ambiguity ◽  
Multiple Factors ◽  
Processing Cost ◽  
Scope Ambiguities ◽  
Eye Movements During Reading ◽  
Processing Difficulty

We investigated the processing of sentences containing a quantifier scope ambiguity, such as Kelly showed a photo to each critic, which is ambiguous between the indefinite phrase ( a photo) having one or many referents. Ambiguity resolution requires the computation of relative quantifier scope, with either a photo or each critic taking wide scope, thereby determining the number of referents. Using eye tracking, we established that multiple factors, including the grammatical function and surface linear order of quantified phrases, along with their lexical characteristics, interact during the processing of relative quantifier scope, with conflict between factors incurring a processing cost. We discuss the results in terms of theoretical accounts attributing sentence-processing difficulty to either reanalysis (e.g., Fodor, 1982) or competition between rival analyses (e.g., Kurtzman & MacDonald, 1993).

On the scope of quantifier phrases in Chinese passive construction

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-89
Author(s):  
Xiaolong Yang ◽  
Yicheng Wu
Keyword(s):  
Wide Scope ◽  
Quantifier Scope ◽  
Scope Ambiguity ◽  
Passive Construction ◽  
Single Sentence ◽  
Narrow Scope ◽  
Semantics And Pragmatics ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Quantifier Phrases ◽  
Semantic Properties

Abstract Quantifier phrases (QP) can co-occur in a single sentence, which may cause ambiguity in terms of scope relation, viz. wide scope and narrow scope interpretations. Aoun & Li (1993) claim that quantifier scope ambiguity also exists in Chinese passive construction, such as yige nűren bei meige ren ma ‘a woman was scolded by everyone’. Following Lee (1986)’s proposal, it is argued in this paper that the scopal relations of Chinese QPs are not purely syntactic as in Aoun & Li’s analysis, but should be determined by the interaction between syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Based on naturalistic data, it is shown that (i) Chinese QPs can be classified into whQP, distributive-universal QP and group-denoting QP, whose semantic properties determine the scope relations between them; (ii) in general, a QP is devoid of referentiality, yet it can acquire referentiality depending on its co-occurrence with other QPs or contextual factors; (iii) the subject definiteness constraint in Chinese, a language-specific constraint, would affect the interpretation of subject QPs in Chinese passive construction.

scholarly journals Subject encodings and retrieval interference

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Arnett ◽  
Matthew Wagers
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Retrieval Cues ◽  
Syntactic Theory ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Retrieval Interference ◽  
Processing Difficulty

Interference has been identified as a cause of processing difficulty in linguistic dependencies, such as the subject-verb relation (Van Dyke and Lewis, 2003). However, while mounting evidence implicates retrieval interference in sentence processing, the nature of the retrieval cues involved - and thus the source of difficulty - remains largely unexplored. Three experiments used self-paced reading and eye-tracking to examine the ways in which the retrieval cues provided at a verb characterize subjects. Syntactic theory has identified a number of properties correlated with subjecthood, both phrase-structural and thematic. Findings replicate and extend previous findings of interference at a verb from additional subjects, but indicate that retrieval outcomes are relativized to the syntactic domain in which the retrieval occurs. One, the cues distinguish between thematic subjects in verbal and nominal domains. Two, within the verbal domain, retrieval is sensitive to abstract syntactic properties associated with subjects and their clauses. We argue that the processing at a verb requires cue-driven retrieval, and that the retrieval cues utilize abstract grammatical properties which may reflect parser expectations.

Glue semantics for HPSG

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ash Asudeh ◽  
Richard Crouch
Keyword(s):  
Recent Work ◽  
Semantic Interpretation ◽  
Alternative Form ◽  
Quantifier Scope ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Scope Ambiguity ◽  
Lexical Functional Grammar ◽  
Highly Efficient ◽  
Glue Semantics ◽  
Syntactic Theories

‎The glue approach to semantic interpretation has been developed principally for Lexical Functional Grammar. Recent work has shown how glue can be used with a variety of syntactic theories and this paper outlines how it can be applied to HPSG. As well as providing an alternative form of semantics for HPSG, we believe that the benefits of HPSG glue include the following: (1) simplification of the Semantics Principle; (2) a simple and elegant treatment of modifier scope, including empirical phenomena like quantifier scope ambiguity, the interaction of scope with raising, and recursive modification; (3) an analysis of control that handles agreement between controlled subjects and their coarguments while allowing for a property denotation for the controlled clause; (4) re-use of highly efficient techniques for semantic derivation already implemented for LFG, and which target problems of ambiguity management also addressed by Minimal Recursion Semantics. 

scholarly journals The Contributions of Singular and Plural Nouns to Sentence Processing Complexity: Evidence from Reading Time

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel H. Messer ◽  
Shelia Kennison
Keyword(s):  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Experimental Psychology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Sentence Comprehension ◽  
Conceptual Representation ◽  
Psychonomic Bulletin ◽  
Psycholinguistic Research ◽  
Garden Path ◽  
And Linguistics ◽  
Processing Difficulty

The nature of semantic representations of plural nouns has been a subject of debates in the literature. The present research investigated the extent to which there are differences in the processing of plural versus single noun descriptions (e.g., the large chairs vs. the large chair).  In two reading experiments, we tested whether plural (versus singular) nouns appearing in sentences were more difficult to process initially and/or led to increased processing difficulty when occurring in sentences that contain a temporary syntactic ambiguity. Reading time on syntactically ambiguous sentences containing plural or singular nouns were compared with reading time on unambiguous control sentences. The results of both experiments demonstrated significant effects of sentence ambiguity.  No effects or interactions involving noun number were observed, indicating that the complexity of plural nouns does not result in processing difficulty during sentence comprehension. References Adams, B., Clifton, C., & Mitchell, D. (1998). Lexical guidance in sentence processing? Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 5(2), 265-270. Baayen, R. H., Dijkstra, T., & Schreuder, R. (1997). Singulars and plurals in Dutch: Evidence for a parallel dual-route model. Journal of Memory and Language, 37(1), 94-117. Barker, C. (1992). Group Terms in English: Representing Groups as Atoms. Journal of Semantics 9, 69-93. Barsalou, L. W. (1999).  Perceptual symbol systems. Brain and Behavioral Sciences, 22, 577-660. Clark, H. H. (1973). The language-as-fixed-effect fallacy: A critique of language statistics in psychological research. Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior, 12, 335-359. Dominguez, A., Cuetos, F., & Segui, J. (1999). The processing of grammatical gender and number in Spanish. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 28(5), 485-498. Ferreira, F., & Henderson, J. (1990). Use of verb information during syntactic parsing: Evidence from eye tracking and word by word self-paced reading. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 16, 555-568. Ferreira, F., & Henderson, J. M. (1991). Recovery from misanalyses of garden-path sentences. Journal of Memory and Language, 30(6), 725-745. Ferreira, F., & McClure, K. K. (1997). Parsing of garden-path sentences with reciprocal verbs. Language and Cognitive Processes, 12, 273–306. Garnsey, S. M., Pearlmutter, N. J., Myers, E., & Lotocky, M. (1997). The contributions of verb bias and plausibility to the comprehension of temporarily ambiguous sentences. Journal of Memory & Language, 37, 58-93. Johnson-Laird, P. (1983). Mental Models: Towards a Cognitive Science of Language, Inference, and Consciousness.  Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Kennison, S. M. (2001). Limitations on the use of verb information in sentence comprehension.  Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 8, 132-138. Kennison, S. M. (2005).  Different time courses of integrative semantic processing for plural and singular nouns: Implications for theories of sentence processing. Cognition, 97, 269-294. Mitchell, D. C. (1987). Lexical guidance in human parsing: Locus and processing characteristics. In M. Coltheart (Ed.), Attention and Performance 12: The psychology of reading (pp. 601-618). Hillsdale, NJ, England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.  New, B., Brysbaert, M., Segui, J., Ferrand, L., & Rastle, K. (2004). The processing of singular and plural nouns in French and English. Journal of Memory and Language, 51, 568-585. Patson, N. D. (2014). The processing of plural expressions. Language and Linguistics Compass, 8(8), 319-329. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/lnc3.12085 Patson, N. D., George, G., & Warren, T. (2014). The conceptual representation of number. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 67(7), 1349-1365. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2013.863372 Patson, N.(2014). The processing of plural expressions. Language and Linguistics Compass, 8(8), 319-329. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/lnc3.12085 Patson, N. (2016). Evidence in support of a scalar implicature account of plurality. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 42(7), 1140-1153. doi:10.1037/xlm0000224 Patson, N. D., & Ferreira, F. (2009). Conceptual plural information is used to guide early parsing decisions: Evidence from garden-path sentences with reciprocal verbs. Journal of Memory and Language, 60, 464-486. Patson, N., George, G., & Warren, T. (2014). The conceptual representation of number. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 67(7), 1349-1365. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2013.863372 Patson, N., & Warren, T. (2011). Building complex reference objects from dual sets. Journal of Memory and Language, 64, 443–459. Patson, N., & Warren, T. (2014). Comparing the roles of referents and event structures in parsing preferences. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 29, 408–423. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01690965.2013.788197 Schneider, W., Eschman, A., & Zuccolotto, A. (2002). E-Prime (Version 2.0). [Computer software and manual]. Pittsburgh, PA: Psychology Software Tools Inc. Schreuder, R., & Baayen, R. (1997). How complex simple words can be. Journal of Memory and Language, 37(1), 118-139.   Schwarzschild, R. (1996). Pluralities. Kluwer, Dordrecht. Sereno, J. A., & Jongman, A. (1997). Processing of English inflectional morphology. Memory & Cognition, 25(4), 425-437. Sturt, P., Pickering, M. J., & Crocker, M. W. (2000). Search strategies in syntactic reanalysis. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 29(2), 183-194. Zwaan, R. A., Stanfield, R. A., & Yaxley, R. H. (2002).  Language comprehenders mentally represent the shapes of objects. Psychological science, 13(2), 168-171.

scholarly journals Introducing Continuations

2001 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Chris Barker
Keyword(s):  
Natural Language ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Compositional Analysis ◽  
New Technique ◽  
Quantifier Scope ◽  
Scope Ambiguity ◽  
Syntactic Movement ◽  
Working Paper ◽  
A New Technique ◽  
Empirical Generalizations

This working paper introduces CONTINUATIONS (a concept borrowed from computer science) as a new technique for characterizing certain aspects of the semantics of a natural language. I should emphasize at the outset that this is just an introduction, and that more a rigorous and thorough treatment is under development (see Barker (ms)). In the meantime, this paper mentions certain formal results without proving them, and describes certain new empirical generalizations without exploring them. What it will do is provide an explicit account of a range of familiar phenomena relat­ed to quantification, including quantifier scope ambiguity, NP as a scope island, and generalized coordination. What makes the account noteworthy is that it provides a fully and strictly compositional analysis of quantification and generalized coordina­tion that does not rely on syntactic movement operations such as Quantifier Move­ment, auxiliary storage mechanisms such as Cooper Storage, or type ambiguity as in Hendriks' Flexible Types system.

scholarly journals A linear approach to relative multiple embedding

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kei Yoshimoto
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Linguistic Performance ◽  
Linear Approach ◽  
Processing Step ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Human Sentence Processing ◽  
Processing Difficulty ◽  
Made In

It is generally accepted among psycholinguists that real-time human sentence processing proceeds incrementally from left to right. Recently proposals have been made in the domain of syntax to reduce phenomena which have hitherto been accounted for in terms of linguistic performance to linear structures given at the level of competence. Keeping in line with this tendency in research, this paper tries to reestablish the much discussed relationship between the two aspects of language, competence and performance: the issue of processing difficulty dependent on sorts of multiple clause embedding is addressed by incorporating into HPSG a mechanism reflecting left-to-right processing and memory costs calculated at each processing step.

scholarly journals A principled approach to feature selection in models of sentence processing

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garrett Smith ◽  
Shravan Vasishth
Keyword(s):  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Retrieval Cues ◽  
Feature Representations ◽  
Self Organized ◽  
Porcelain Plate ◽  
Retrieval Interference ◽  
Processing Difficulty ◽  
Recent Extension

Among theories of human language comprehension, cue-based memory retrieval has proven to be a useful framework for understanding when and how processing difficulty arises in the resolution of long-distance dependencies. Most previous work in this area has assumed that very general retrieval cues like [+subject] or [+singular] do the work of identifying (and sometimes misidentifying) a retrieval target in order to establish a dependency between words. However, recent work suggests that general, hand-picked retrieval cues like these may not be enough to explain illusions of plausibility (Cunnings & Sturt, 2018), which can arise in sentences like The letter next to the porcelain plate shattered. Capturing such retrieval interference effects requires lexically specific features and retrieval cues, but hand-picking the features is hard to do in a principled way and greatly increases modeler degrees of freedom. To remedy this, we use word embeddings, a well-established method for creating distributed feature representations, for lexical features and retrieval cues. We show that the similarity between the features and the cues (a measure of plausibility) predicts total reading times in Cunnings and Sturt’s eye-tracking data. The features can easily be plugged into existing parsing models (including cue-based retrieval and self-organized parsing), putting very different models on more equal footing and facilitating future quantitative comparisons. In addition to this methodological contribution, our results suggest that, contrary to Cunnings and Sturts’ original conclusions, focused words might be more prominent in memory, making them less susceptible to interference, as predicted by a recent extension to ACT-R (Engelmann, Jäger, & Vasishth, 2019).

Paradigmatic consequences of the suffixing preference

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Berg
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Structure ◽  
Empirical Observation ◽  
Grammatical Categories ◽  
Processing Cost ◽  
The World ◽  
Plural Marking ◽  
Protective Structures ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Inflectional Paradigms ◽  
Processing Difficulty

Abstract As one of the most robust typological findings, the suffixing preference captures the empirical observation that grammatical categories are more likely to be coded by suffixes than by prefixes. The goal of this contribution is to explore the effects that this asymmetry may have on the inflectional paradigms of the languages of the world. Three empirical issues are addressed: do languages with either possessive prefixes or suffixes and languages with both possessive prefixes and suffixes differ in their suffix-to-prefix ratio? Do prefixes and suffixes differ in the number of cases that they code? Do prefixes and suffixes differ in their probability of explicit singular in addition to plural marking? The answer to all three questions is in the affirmative. These effects are understood in terms of a response to an inherent disadvantage of prefixes. Morphological systems reduce the processing difficulty incurred by prefixes by assigning them fewer tasks (i.e. number of cases), by limiting their occurrence in highly competitive contexts (i.e. inconsistent possessive-affix coding) and by creating prefix paradigms, which are conceived of as protective structures in which the individual members strengthen one another. The general claim these three effects lead up to is that morphological systems develop “repair strategies” which reduce the processing cost involved in using inherently disadvantaged units. These repair strategies shape morphological structure.

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