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When do speakers take into account common ground?
1Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Cognition
|April 1, 1996
Summary
Common ground influences utterance production, but not during initial planning. Speakers monitor their utterances for common ground violations, especially under time pressure, suggesting a reactive rather than proactive role.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Psycholinguistics
- Communication Studies
Background:
- Investigates the role of common ground in language production.
- Compares two models: common ground in initial planning vs. monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if common ground affects utterance planning or monitoring.
- To test models of audience design in referential communication.
Main Methods:
- Modified referential communication task with speakers describing objects to listeners.
- Manipulated time constraints to assess the impact on common ground utilization.
- Focused on common ground evidenced by physical co-presence.
Main Results:
- Speakers incorporated common ground when not under time pressure.
- Common ground was not utilized by speakers under time constraints.
- Evidence suggests common ground plays a role in monitoring, not initial planning.
Conclusions:
- Speakers do not engage in audience design during initial utterance planning.
- Utterance monitoring, rather than initial planning, incorporates common ground.
- Time pressure significantly impacts the use of common ground in communication.