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Verb-specific constraints in sentence processing: separating effects of lexical preference from garden-paths
J C Trueswell1, M K Tanenhaus, C Kello
1Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, New York 14627.
Summary
Syntactic information from verbs impacts language processing immediately. This study found that readers use verb subcategorization constraints early, supporting constraint-based models of sentence comprehension.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Computational Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Understanding how syntactic information influences real-time language processing is crucial for cognitive models of language.
- Previous research has explored the role of verb subcategorization in sentence comprehension, with varying theoretical implications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the immediate effects of verb-specific syntactic (subcategorization) information during sentence comprehension.
- To differentiate between constraint-based and lexical filtering models of language processing.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a cross-modal naming experiment.
- Employed a self-paced reading experiment.
- Monitored participants' eye movements during reading.
Main Results:
- Syntactic misanalysis effects in sentence complements were observed at the complement verb for matrix verbs favoring noun phrase complements.
- These effects were absent for verbs strongly preferring sentence complements.
- A complementizer effect for sentence-complement-biased verbs was linked to complementizer preference, not syntactic misanalysis.
Conclusions:
- Findings support models that utilize immediate, lexically specific constraints, particularly constraint-based models.
- Results pose challenges for lexical filtering models that do not incorporate immediate constraint utilization.
- Verb subcategorization information is accessed and utilized very early in sentence processing.