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The processing of raising and nominal control: an eye-tracking study
1Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, UK.
Frontiers in Psychology
|April 9, 2015
Summary
This study investigated how the brain processes reflexive-antecedent dependencies during sentence comprehension. Findings suggest retrieval interference occurs in both raising and nominal control structures, contrary to initial hypotheses.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Sentence processing theories suggest memory retrieval differs based on dependency type.
- Prior research found retrieval interference in subject-verb agreement but not reflexive-antecedent agreement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine reflexive-antecedent dependencies in sentence processing.
- To compare processing of dependencies involving raising versus nominal control.
- To test hypotheses about processing speed and retrieval interference.
Main Methods:
- Four eye-tracking experiments were conducted.
- Participants processed sentences with reflexive-antecedent dependencies.
- Dependencies were examined in the context of raising and nominal control structures.
Main Results:
- Evidence of retrieval interference was found when dependencies were mediated by raising or nominal control.
- Minimal interference was observed for direct reflexive-antecedent dependencies.
- No significant difference in interference or processing speed was found between raising and nominal control.
Conclusions:
- Reflexive-antecedent dependencies, whether mediated by raising or nominal control, elicit retrieval interference.
- Processing speed and interference levels did not differ between raising and nominal control structures.
- The findings challenge assumptions about structural constraints influencing retrieval interference in sentence comprehension.
