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How Natural are Conceptual Anaphors?
Jane Oakhill1, Alan Garnham2, Morton Ann Gernsbacher3
1Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton East Sussex, U.K.
Language and Cognitive Processes
|December 19, 2014
Summary
Conceptual anaphors, understood from context, are rated as natural and sensible. However, processing them can be slower than explicit linguistic antecedents, depending on the anaphor type.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Cognitive Science
- Linguistics
Background:
- Anaphora resolution is crucial for language comprehension.
- Conceptual anaphors lack explicit linguistic antecedents, relying on contextual inference.
- Understanding the processing ease and naturalness of conceptual anaphors is key.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interpretation and processing of conceptual anaphors.
- To compare the naturalness and processing efficiency of conceptual vs. explicit anaphors.
- To determine factors influencing the ease of understanding conceptual anaphors.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Naturalness ratings of sentences with conceptual anaphors.
- Experiment 2: Self-paced reading to measure comprehension time for conceptual anaphors.
- Experiment 3: Comparison of processing times for conceptual vs. explicit plural anaphors.
Main Results:
- Conceptual anaphors were rated as natural and sensible, with high acceptability and low judgment times.
- Processing efficiency varied: one type of conceptual anaphor was easier than explicit counterparts.
- Other conceptual anaphor types were processed more slowly than explicit linguistic antecedents.
Conclusions:
- Conceptual anaphors are readily understood and perceived as natural.
- Processing difficulty for conceptual anaphors depends on the specific type and context.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the cognitive mechanisms of conceptual anaphora resolution.
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