The role of syntax in sentence and referential processing
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Roger P.G. van Gompel
Abstract
How language comprehenders process the syntactic structure of sentences and, to a somewhat lesser extent, how sentence structure affects referential processing have been important questions in language comprehension research. Results from studies using the visual-world eye-tracking method have yielded important insights regarding these issues. In these studies, participants listen to sentences with varying structure (often involving ambiguity) while an eye tracker monitors their eye fixations to objects or pictures of words in the sentence. Because listeners rapidly fixate the objects/pictures in the sentence (Cooper, 1974; Allopenna, Magnuson, & Tanenhaus, 1998) and even fixate objects/pictures that are likely to be mentioned next (Altmann & Kamide, 1999), fixations to the objects/pictures can be used to inform us about how language comprehenders process sentence structure and how it affects referential processing. This chapter reviews visual-world studies that have done this.
Abstract
How language comprehenders process the syntactic structure of sentences and, to a somewhat lesser extent, how sentence structure affects referential processing have been important questions in language comprehension research. Results from studies using the visual-world eye-tracking method have yielded important insights regarding these issues. In these studies, participants listen to sentences with varying structure (often involving ambiguity) while an eye tracker monitors their eye fixations to objects or pictures of words in the sentence. Because listeners rapidly fixate the objects/pictures in the sentence (Cooper, 1974; Allopenna, Magnuson, & Tanenhaus, 1998) and even fixate objects/pictures that are likely to be mentioned next (Altmann & Kamide, 1999), fixations to the objects/pictures can be used to inform us about how language comprehenders process sentence structure and how it affects referential processing. This chapter reviews visual-world studies that have done this.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Towards a situated view of language 1
- Perception of the visual environment 31
- Attention and eye movement metrics in visual world eye tracking 67
- The role of syntax in sentence and referential processing 83
- Reaching sentence and reference meaning 127
- Discourse level processing 151
- Figurative language processing 185
- The role of affordances in visually situated language comprehension 205
- Characterising visual context effects 227
- Visual world studies of conversational perspective taking 261
- Visual environment and interlocutors in situated dialogue 291
- Coordinating action and language 323
- Index 357
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Towards a situated view of language 1
- Perception of the visual environment 31
- Attention and eye movement metrics in visual world eye tracking 67
- The role of syntax in sentence and referential processing 83
- Reaching sentence and reference meaning 127
- Discourse level processing 151
- Figurative language processing 185
- The role of affordances in visually situated language comprehension 205
- Characterising visual context effects 227
- Visual world studies of conversational perspective taking 261
- Visual environment and interlocutors in situated dialogue 291
- Coordinating action and language 323
- Index 357
