Effects of Local and Global Context on Processing Sentences with Subject and Object Relative Clauses
Yang,Fang Mo,Lun Louwerse,Max M.
Yang,Fang
Mo,Lun
Louwerse,Max M.
Abstract
An eye tracking study investigated the effects of local and global discourse context on the processing of subject and object relative clauses, whereby the contexts favored either a subject relative clause interpretation or an object relative clause interpretation. The fixation data replicated previous studies showing that object relative clause sentences were more difficult to process than subject relative sentences. Crucially, however, the reading difficulty asymmetry between subject and object relative clause sentences disappeared when the sentences were presented with a local or a global discourse context that favored the objects in the object relative clauses. These findings demonstrate that the evidence for a syntax-based account of sentence processing is found when sentences are presented in isolation. However, if sentences are placed more naturally, in context, discourse factors outweigh the initial structural assignment.
Description
Date
2013-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Syntactic parsing, Sentence processing, Eye tracking, Discourse comprehension, Garden Bath, Linguistic context, SDG 4 - Quality Education
Citation
Yang, F, Mo, L & Louwerse, M M 2013, 'Effects of Local and Global Context on Processing Sentences with Subject and Object Relative Clauses', Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 227-237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-012-9215-5