scholarly journals Distinguishing effects of number interference and number attraction in sentence processing.

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Suckow
Keyword(s):  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Relative Clause ◽  
Interference Effect ◽  
Initial Structure ◽  
Retrieval Cues ◽  
Structure Building ◽  
Test Number ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Attraction Effects ◽  
Retrieval Interference

Several comprehension studies have found evidence for number attraction effects: Processing a number-inflected verb is harder when a NP with the same number intervenes between the subject and verb (Pearlmutter et al., 1999; Wagers et al., 2009). This predicts that "was" in Example 1 should be harder when the verb is preceded by a plural ("customers" or "directors") than a singular NP. In contrast, similarity-based interference (Dyke & Lewis, 2003; Vasishth & Lewis 2005) predicts retrieval interference when a verb needs to be integrated with its dependents. The retrieval of a dependent should be more difficult when it shares retrieval cues (e.g., number) with another phrase. This predicts longer reading times at "was" with singular interfering NPs (customer or director). 1. The secretary | who argued with | the customer(s) of the director(s) | was on | the train | to the meeting. An eye-tracking experiment showed a number interference effect from the local NP ("director") in first fixation for the train and from the second NP ("customer") in total times for the same region. There was no number attraction effect. One possibility is that we did not find evidence for number attraction because the number attractor was syntactically deeply embedded in a relative clause. To test number attraction from nouns not in a relative clause, the intervening attractor ("farmers") was in a PP in Experiment 2. We also tested whether attraction effects might be part of checking processes after initial structure building. If so, these effects should be strong during reanalysis. Thus, we compared structurally ambiguous (2, without comma) and unambiguous sentences (with comma). The verb "has" not only resolves the ambiguity, it also agrees with "cousin". Thus, when the verb is preceded by a plural number attractor ("farmers"), reanalysis should be harder according to the number attraction account. 2. After Virginia answered(,) the cousin of the farmer(s) | has to | think it | all over again. Ambiguous sentences took longer to read than unambiguous sentences. More importantly, although there was no attraction or interference effect for unambiguous sentences, regression-path times for "has to" in the ambiguous sentences were longer when there was a plural than singular attractor. This suggests that number attraction affects comprehension as part of a checking process. We will discuss the implications of both experiments for number attraction and similarity-based interference.

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.

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).

Effects of Sentence Structure on Sentence Elicited Imitation Responses

1978 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 809-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Carol Hudgins ◽  
Walter L. Cullinan
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Relative Clause ◽  
Female College Students ◽  
Sentence Structure ◽  
Response Accuracy ◽  
Relative Pronoun ◽  
Elicited Imitation ◽  
Sentence Repetition ◽  
Repetition Task

This study investigates the effects of sentence structure on the number of error sentences and response latency in a sentence-repetition task. Forty female college students repeated short and long test sentences containing either a single self-embedded or right-branching subject-focus or object-focus relative clause. Sentences were also controlled for deletion of the relative pronoun of the relative clause. Sentence structure was found to affect sentence elicited imitation response accuracy and latency in a manner similar to the effects of structure on ease of comprehension. The findings are consistent with a canonical-sentoid strategy explanation of sentence processing during sentence imitation.

Again on relative clause and subordination in Latin

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gualtiero Calboli
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clause ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Central Point ◽  
Relative Pronoun ◽  
Case Theory ◽  
Nominative Case ◽  
Subordinate Clauses ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Law

AbstractI started from the relative clause which occurs in Hittite, and in particular with the enclitic position of the relative pronoun. This is connected with the OV position and this position seems to have been prevailing in Hittite and PIE. The syntactic structure usually employed in Hittite between different clauses is the parataxis. Nevertheless, also the hypotaxis begins to be employed and the best occasion to use it was the diptych as suggested by Haudry, though he didn't consider the most natural and usual diptych: the law, where the crime and the sanction build a natural diptych already in old Hittite. Then I used Justus' and Boley's discussion on the structure of Hittite sentence and found a similarity with Latin, namely the use of an animate subject as central point of a sentence. With verbs of action in ancient languages the subject was normally an animate being, whereas also inanimate subject is employed in modern languages. This seems to be the major difference between ancient and modern structure of a sentence, or, better to say, in Hittite and PIE the subject was an animate being and this persisted a long time, and remained as a tendency in Latin, while in following languages and in classical grammar the subject became a simple nominal “entity” to be predicated and precised with verb and other linguistic instruments. A glance has been cast also to pronouns and particles (sometimes linked together) as instruments of linking nominal variants of coordinate or subordinate clauses and to the development of demonstrative/deictic pronouns. Also in ancient case theory a prevailing position was assured to the nominative case, the case of the subject.

אשר-Zitateinleitungssätze in Jeremia und 1QM. Anmerkungen zu 1QM 10:6, zu der hebräischen Vorlage von lxx-Jer 26:13; 49:19 sowie zu mt-Jer 14:1; 46:1; 47:1; 49:34

2015 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 558-566
Author(s):  
Karin Finsterbusch ◽  
Norbert Jacoby
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clause ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Nominal Clause

In mt-Jer there are four cases of a peculiar אשר clause, which seems to be syntactically isolated (mt-Jer 14:1; 46:2; 47:1 und 49:34). However, the existence of three similar cases has been hitherto overlooked (two in the supposed Hebrew Vorlage of the lxx-Jer and one in 1QM). In this paper, we shall argue that the function of this אשר clause is to introduce a quotation. In syntactical terms, the relative clause is the predicate and the quotation the subject of a nominal clause.

How ‘person’ got into focus: Grammaticalization of clefts in Lingala and Kikongo areas

Linguistics ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenneke van der Wal ◽  
Jacky Maniacky
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clause ◽  
Head Noun ◽  
Bantu Languages ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Subject

AbstractIn several Bantu languages in the regions where Kikongo and Lingala are spoken, we encounter sentences where the word ‘person’ can appear after the subject of a canonical SVO sentence, resulting in a focused interpretation of the subject. Synchronically, we analyze this as a monoclausal focus construction with moto ‘person’ as a focus marker. Diachronically, we argue, the construction derives from a biclausal cleft, where moto functioned as the head noun of the relative clause. This is a crosslinguistically rare but plausible development. The different languages studied in this paper show variation in the properties indicative of the status of the ‘moto construction’, which reflects the different stages of grammaticalization. Finally, we show how contact-induced grammaticalization is a likely factor in the development of moto as a focus marker.

scholarly journals The effect of prominence and cue association on retrieval processes: A computational account

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Engelmann ◽  
Lena A. Jäger ◽  
Shravan Vasishth
Keyword(s):  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Experimental Designs ◽  
Empirical Results ◽  
Retrieval Processes ◽  
Context Dependent ◽  
Retrieval Interference ◽  
Partial Success

We present a comprehensive empirical evaluation of the ACT-R-based model of sentence processing developed by Lewis & Vasishth (2005) (LV05). The predictions of the model are compared with the results of a recent meta-analysis of published reading studies on retrieval interference in reflexive-/reciprocal-antecedent and subject-verb dependencies (Jäger, Engelmann, & Vasishth, 2017). The comparison shows that the model has only partial success in explaining the data; and we propose that its prediction space is restricted by oversimplifying assumptions. We then implement a revised model that takes into account differences between individual experimental designs in terms of the prominence of the target and the distractor in memory and context-dependent cue-feature associations. The predictions of the original and the revised model are quantitatively compared with the results of the meta-analysis. Our simulations show that, compared to the original LV05 model, the revised model accounts for the data better. The results suggest that effects of prominence and variable cue-feature associations need to be considered in the interpretation of existing empirical results and in the design and planning of future experiments. With regard to retrieval interference in sentence processing and to the broader field of psycholinguistic studies, we conclude that well-specified models in tandem with high-powered experiments are needed in order to uncover the underlying cognitive processes.

scholarly journals PENGGUNAAN KLAUSA RELATIF PADA PEMBELAJAR BIPA DI UNIT PELAKSANA TEKNIS (UPT) BAHASA UNIVERSITAS SEBELAS MARET SURAKARTA

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Anggun Melati Sari ◽  
Andayani Andayani ◽  
Sumarlam Sumarlam
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clause ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Advanced Technique ◽  
Academic Scholarship ◽  
Mastery Level ◽  
Oral Speech ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Level Of Difficulty ◽  
Foreign Speakers

Anggun Melati Sari1, Andayani2, Sumarlam31Universitas Sebelas Maret [email protected] 2Universitas Sebelas Maret [email protected] 3Universitas Sebelas Maret [email protected]  AbstractThis study aimed to describe the use of relative clauses Indonesian learners for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) grade-level academic scholarship at the Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) Language of Sebelas Maret University. The subject matter is the form of the use of relative clauses and the types of errors in relative clause. The data used in this study is the form of oral’s data and writing’s data. The data derived from the oral-speech BIPA’s learners in which there is relative clause while the writing’s data derived from the sentences in BIPA learner’s essay in which there is relative clause. The data were analyzed using agih methods and advanced technique of agih methods. The results of this study indicate that the use of relative clauses in BIPA learners using the perelative words “yang”. Acquisition of the relative clauses that relativize the thermic elements and errors in the relative clause that removes the noun element occupying the highest level as well as describe the highest degree of mastery in relative clauses. This study concluded that the form of the use of relative clause also describe the mastery level of difficulty of each type of relative clause learners BIPA.Keywords: clause, relative clause, Indonesian for foreign speakers (BIPA)

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document