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Shallow processing of ambiguous pronouns: evidence for delay
Andrew J Stewart1, Judith Holler, Evan Kidd
1School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. Andrew.Stewart@manchester.ac.uk
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006)
|September 14, 2007
Summary
Ambiguous pronoun interpretation occurs more slowly under deep processing conditions. However, shallow processing leads to a delayed interpretation of ambiguous pronouns, not an initial commitment.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Cognitive Psychology
- Computational Linguistics
Background:
- Understanding pronoun resolution is key to language comprehension.
- Ambiguous pronouns pose a challenge, requiring context-dependent interpretation.
- Shallow processing, a less effortful mode of comprehension, affects how such ambiguities are handled.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how ambiguous pronouns are processed under shallow processing conditions.
- To differentiate between models of ambiguous pronoun resolution, specifically initial commitment versus delayed interpretation.
- To extend existing models of pronoun resolution to account for shallow processing.
Main Methods:
- Two self-paced reading-time experiments were conducted.
- Participants read sentences containing ambiguous and unambiguous pronouns under varying processing depth conditions (shallow vs. deep).
- Reading times were analyzed to infer processing mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Sentences with ambiguous pronouns were read as quickly as unambiguous ones under shallow processing.
- Processing was slower for ambiguous pronouns under deep processing.
- Evidence supported a delayed interpretation model for ambiguous pronouns during shallow processing.
- No support was found for an initial commitment model under shallow processing.
Conclusions:
- Shallow processing of ambiguous pronouns results in a delayed interpretation.
- The findings challenge models that assume immediate commitment to a pronoun interpretation.
- The study refines models of pronoun resolution, incorporating shallow processing effects.
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