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Attentional focusing with quantifiers in production and comprehension
A J Sanford1, L M Moxey, K B Paterson
1University of Glasgow, Scotland. tony@psy.gla.ac.uk
Memory & Cognition
|March 1, 1996
Summary
Positive and negative quantifiers in English focus on different semantic possibilities, not just amounts. This study reveals quantifier focus effects beyond simple numerical meaning.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Cognitive Science
- Semantics
Background:
- Quantifiers in English convey more than just numerical amounts.
- Previous research by Moxey and Sanford (1987) suggested distinct functions for quantifiers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether positive and negative quantifiers focus on different semantic subsets of possibilities.
- To determine if these focus effects extend beyond quantifiers denoting small amounts.
- To test the comprehension of quantifier focus effects.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted.
- Experiments 1 and 2 used a continuation task with a wide range of quantifiers.
- Experiment 3 employed a self-paced reading task to assess comprehension.
Main Results:
- Positive and negative quantifiers demonstrably focus on different logical possibilities.
- These focus effects were observed across the full range of quantifier denotations, not limited to small amounts.
- Comprehension was affected by these focus effects, supporting their significance.
Conclusions:
- Quantifiers have a functional role beyond their direct numerical denotation.
- The findings support and extend previous work on quantifier semantics and processing.
- A novel explanation for quantifier encoding mechanisms is proposed.