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Interface problems: structural constraints on interpretation?

Lyn Frazier1, Charles Clifton, Keith Rayner

  • 1Department of Linguistics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. lyn@linguist.umass.edu

Journal of Psycholinguistic Research
|July 30, 2005
PubMed
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Readers prefer to interpret quantified noun phrases in subject position as limiting existing information, not introducing new entities. This preference for presuppositional interpretation is influenced by syntactic position and language-specific markers.

Area of Science:

  • Linguistics
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Understanding how quantified noun phrases are interpreted in discourse is crucial for theories of language comprehension.
  • The mapping hypothesis suggests a link between syntactic structure and semantic interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interpretation of quantified noun phrases in relation to discourse structure.
  • To determine whether readers prefer presuppositional or existential interpretations for such phrases.
  • To examine the influence of syntactic position and language-specific markers on interpretation.

Main Methods:

  • Five experiments utilizing questionnaire and on-line reading techniques.
  • Analysis of reading times and interpretation preferences.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Cross-linguistic comparisons with English, Korean, and German speakers.

    • Main Results:

    • Readers consistently prefer a presuppositional interpretation for quantified noun phrases in subject position.
    • Existential interpretations lead to longer reading times, indicating processing difficulty.
    • VP-external position and topic marking enhance the preference for presuppositional interpretations.

    Conclusions:

    • Syntactic position is a significant determinant of quantified noun phrase interpretation.
    • The findings support the mapping hypothesis, linking syntax to semantics.
    • Discourse structure plays a key role in resolving ambiguity in language comprehension.