整体语境和局部语境对代词理解的影响

通过眼动实验,考察了语篇理解中整体语境和局部语境对代词理解的影响。实验一是预备实验,发现名词与动词词组之间关系的典型性不同,整合的速度也不一样。实验二发现,代词的理解不是一次完成的,代词理解的初期受整体语境的语义偏向影响,而不受局部语境的影响。在第二阶段主要受到局部语境的影响。代词的理解过程比较符合Cook（2004）所提出的两阶段模型     

语篇语境对句子理解的影响：来自N400的证据

N400作为语义违反的特异性ERP组分,其波幅反映了语义整合加工过程的难度,因此可将其作为研究语篇语境意义建构过程的一项重要指标。语篇语境可分为语言语境和非语言语境。前人一系列基于语篇水平的N400研究表明,从语义的角度上看,语言语境对句子理解具有制约和协调作用,其机制涉及词汇语义启动、场景适宜性、文字内容信息以及因果推理等方面;非语言语境对句子理解具有制约和补充作用,但其机制尚不明确。两种不同来源的语义信息在实时理解中是同时得到加工的     

词汇选择中句子语境效应的研究

通过两个词汇选择实验,采用快速选择法对汉语句子语境作用作了考察.结果发现句子语境位置及语境与目标词之间的语法关系对于词汇选择起着重要的作用.这些结果表明(1)前语境为被试对随后出现的目标词有一种预期效应,它对词汇选择的促进作用大于延迟语境;(2)当句子或短语不符合句法时,语境的效应很弱,语境效应的产生依赖于句法、语义等高层次的表征.     

代词歧义消解中隐含意义的理解

通过两个眼动实验考察了在代词歧义消解中人们如何根据语境并利用语用知识理解隐含意义.实验一以24个语篇为实验材料,采用单因素两水平重复测量设计.结果表明间接方式下关键句阅读时间较长.实验二采用同样的实验设计,结果表明脱离语篇语境的关键句在不同条件下阅读时间相当.实验结果支持隐含意义的理解在句子加工的早期就已开始的联结主义观点.     

动词隐含因果语义对汉语高功能自闭症儿童代词加工的影响

个体在利用动词隐含因果语义线索确定代词所指的过程中会结合动词语义特征和语境信息两个方面,已有研究指出自闭症儿童在语言加工过程中无法有效利用语境信息,本研究采用句子理解任务,考察有无语境支持和不同动词类型（主语隐含型和宾语隐含型）四种条件下,汉语高功能自闭症儿童利用动词隐含因果语义信息加工代词的能力。结果显示,（1）汉语高功能自闭症儿童的代词加工表现显著差于典型发展儿童;（2）语境信息可以帮助被试确定代词所指,且对两组被试成绩的提高程度相当。以上结果表明汉语高功能自闭症儿童之所以无法利用动词的隐含因果语义线索确定代词所指的原因可能是他们对该类动词的语义表征存在问题,而非无法利用语境信息。     

动词隐含因果语义对汉语高功能自闭症儿童代词加工的影响

个体在利用动词隐含因果语义线索确定代词所指的过程中会结合动词语义特征和语境信息两个方面,已有研究指出自闭症儿童在语言加工过程中无法有效利用语境信息,本研究采用句子理解任务,考察有无语境支持和不同动词类型（主语隐含型和宾语隐含型）四种条件下,汉语高功能自闭症儿童利用动词隐含因果语义信息加工代词的能力。结果显示,（1）汉语高功能自闭症儿童的代词加工表现显著差于典型发展儿童;（2）语境信息可以帮助被试确定代词所指,且对两组被试成绩的提高程度相当。以上结果表明汉语高功能自闭症儿童之所以无法利用动词的隐含因果语义线索确定代词所指的原因可能是他们对该类动词的语义表征存在问题,而非无法利用语境信息。     

句子语境中汉语词类歧义词的意义激活

以单字词为实验材料 ,采用跨通道启动真假字判断任务 ,在句子语境中考察汉语词类歧义词不同意义激活的特点。被试为 134名北京师范大学本科学生。实验时向被试听觉呈现含有歧义词的句子 ,且句子语境分别支持歧义词的主要或次要意义 ,以不同的ISI分别呈现与歧义词两种意义有关的视觉目标词。结果发现 ,当探测目标词在最短的ISI出现时 ,与语境支持的意义有关的目标词反应时较短 ,表明语境在歧义词加工早期促进合适意义的激活 ,同时限制不合适意义的激活。实验数据支持相互作用理论     

高限制性语境下颜色信息对句子理解的影响

采用混合设计的句子-图片匹配范式,以含有显性颜色信息和隐性颜色信息的具有高限制性语境的句子为实验材料,以被试对图片的反应时为因变量指标,通过不同时间间隔的设置,探讨了高限制性语境条件下颜色信息在句子理解过程中的表征特点。结果表明:(1)在高限制性语境条件下句子理解过程中,句子中的隐性颜色信息和显性颜色信息对大脑具有相同的表征作用。(2)在高限制性语境条件下句子理解过程中,句-图匹配条件下的句子理解速度要快于句-图不匹配条件下的理解速度,即出现匹配易化效应,支持了知觉符号理论。即无论在句子理解早期(0ms)还是句子理解晚期(1500ms),被试对句子的理解都属于知觉符号表征,支持了知觉符号理论。     

中文阅读中因果与转折关系理解差异的实验研究

采用移动窗口阅读技术和探测技术探讨大学生中文阅读过程中对因果与转折关系的理解差异。实验一在句子层面考察因果和转折关系的理解差异,结果发现被试阅读转折句的时间显著长于因果句,但对两种句子中探测词的反应时没有差异。实验二运用探测技术从篇章层面进一步探讨两种关系的理解差异。结果发现,转折关系条件下被试对探测词的反应时显著慢于因果关系条件下。实验结果表明,无论在句子层面还是在篇章层面,被试对转折关系的表征都难于因果关系的表征。     

语境影响反语理解的眼动研究元分析

运用元分析的方法考察语境在反语理解中的作用及其相关的调节因素。通过文献检索,共搜集了13篇有效文献,16项实验数据,包含了806名被试。结果发现：(1)在反语理解正确率指标上反语明显比字面语更难理解,语境与目标反语不一致会产生额外推理过程,导致反语理解相对困难。(2)目标区反语和字面语在第一遍阅读时间指标上没有差异,但是在回视路径阅读时间和总阅读时间指标上反语的加工时间显著更长,这表明语境在反语加工的后期产生了作用,读者需要在加工后期对反语进行重新分析和整合,这一结果基本符合模块化理论的预测。(3)熟悉性对目标区的第一遍阅读时间和总阅读时间产生了调节作用,表明不管语境强度如何,熟悉的意义首先被加工,这一结果与分级显著性假设的预测基本一致。     

常识性知识和语篇语境对代词指认的影响

本研究围绕中文代词理解中, 读者的常识性知识和语篇语境的作用以及作用时程这一问题展开。实验1首先探讨在中文阅读理解中, 职业性别倾向这种常识性信息是否能对代词的指认产生早期影响。存在一致和冲突(如警卫-他; 警卫-她)两个实验条件, 结果在凝视时间、重读时间和总阅读时间上都发现了职业性别倾向所引发的性别冲突效应。实验2在实验1基础上增加一个代词(如：警卫-他-他; 警卫-她-她), 考察更正后的信息, 即文本语境内容是否可以覆盖常识的作用对代词加工产生影响。结果发现语篇语境确实可以覆盖常识性信息的作用, 对代词加工产生早期影响。但是, 职业性别倾向这种常识性知识仍然在代词加工的后期阶段发挥作用。考虑到代词所形成的语境较为含蓄, 实验3中采用更明确的方式来界定职业名称的性别, 例如男艺人、爸爸等, 然后再出现一个代词, 代词的性别始终和先前的性别描述一致, 而与职业性别倾向冲突, 这样也存在一致和冲突两个条件(例如：保姆-妻子-她, 警卫-妻子-她), 结果发现只有更正后的语境信息对代词加工产生影响, 职业性别倾向不再发挥作用。说明在中文这种高语境依赖性的语言文字中, 语境可以覆盖常识性知识对代词加工产生早期作用。但是, 语境作用的持续性问题会受到语篇语境中性别信息明确程度的影响。     

Effects of antecedent order and semantic context on Chinese pronoun resolution

Three reading time experiments were conducted in order to examine the relative contributions of order of antecedents and semantic context to the resolution of temporarily ambiguous Chinese pronouns. These pronouns were ambiguous because each of them was preceded by two antecedents, both of which were likely candidates for coreference. The identity of the pronoun was revealed by subsequent disambiguating information that constrained the pronoun to one particular interpretation. Experiment 1 showed that reading of the disambiguating phrase was slower when the phrase confined the pronoun to the second rather than to the first antecedent. Experiment 2 produced the same effect of antecedent order (first vs. second antecedent) regardless of whether the target antecedent was an action-performing or an action-receiving entity. In Experiment 3, the order effect was eliminated by a biasing modifier inserted immediately before the pronoun. These results indicate that in a semantically neutral environment, the first-appearing antecedent is the preferred candidate for coreferencing the ambiguous Chinese pronoun. The interaction between order of antecedents and semantic context (in the form of preposed biasing modifiers) suggests that the initial comprehension of Chinese pronouns depends as much on contextual as on structural factors.     

When You and I Share Perspectives: Pronouns Modulate Perspective Taking During Narrative Comprehension

ABSTRACT— Readers mentally simulate the objects and events described in narratives. One common assumption is that readers mentally embody an actor's perspective; alternatively, readers might mentally simulate events from an external "onlooker" perspective. Two experiments examined the role of pronouns in modulating a reader's adopted perspective when comprehending simple event sentences. Experiment 1 demonstrated that readers embody an actor's perspective when the pronoun you or I is used, but take an external perspective when he is used. Experiment 2 , however, found that a short discourse context preceding the event sentence led readers to adopt an external perspective with the pronoun I . These experiments demonstrate that pronoun variation and discourse context mediate the degree of embodiment experienced during narrative comprehension: In all cases, readers mentally simulate objects and events, but they embody an actor's perspective only when directly addressed as the subject of a sentence.     

Comprehension of contrastive stress by Broca's aphasics.

Comprehension of stress as a determiner of reference for pronouns was compared in eight patients with Broca's aphasia (BA) and five age-matched control subjects. The subjects were asked to listen to sentences in which the stressed or unstressed condition of the pronoun was a critical criterion for the establishment of reference. For each sentence, subjects were shown three pictures and asked to point to the correct referent of the pronoun. While the controls were nearly perfect in both the stressed and unstressed conditions, BA patients were significantly worse than normals, showing chance performance in both cases. However, a significant disparity was found in the BA patients' selection of the object NP as the referent under stressed and unstressed conditions, indicating that BA subjects are, indeed, sensitive to the stress patterns of pronouns. It was thus hypothesized that the BA patients' chance performance was the result of an inability to implement their knowledge of stress during the processing of sentences involving discourse-related linguistic operations, such as the establishment of pronoun reference (Grodzinsky, Wexler, Chien, Marakovitz, & Solomon, 1993). To test this hypothesis, a second experiment was conducted in which discourse-related operations were eliminated. In this second experiment, comprehension of stress by the same two groups was compared in tasks involving purely morphosyntactic processes. The contrastive stress patterns of otherwise homophonous compound nouns and adjectival phrases (e.g., BLACKboard, black BOARD), rather than those of pronouns, were examined. In this grammatically "simpler" experiment (i.e., without discourse-related operations), BA subjects scored significantly above chance in their comprehension of sentences involving compound nouns; unexpectedly, however, these same subjects did not show significantly above-chance performance in their comprehension of sentences containing adjectival phrases. Nevertheless, the results obtained in these two experiments seem to support the view that aphasic patients may have a lack of processing capacity, resulting in more errors during the processing of discourse-related linguistic constructions.     

Comprehension of pronouns

An experiment is reported in which subjects had to choose referents for pronouns in sentences such as: John blamed Bill because he spilt the coffee. To examine whether the choice of referent is influenced by features of the main verb or by the events described in the sentence, the relation between the events was altered by changing the conjunction. A significant effect of conjunction was obtained, but only when both antecedents matched the gender of the pronoun. When only one antecedent matched the pronoun, referents were chosen faster. From these results it is argued that readers use general knowledge to select referents for pronouns when gender does not identify a unique referent. A further effect of sentence structure on the time taken to select a referent was interpreted as showing that subjects analysed the sentences clause by clause.     

Pronominalization and discourse coherence,discourse structure and pronoun interpretation

Two self-paced reading-time experiments are reported that examine the time course of pronoun interpretation processes based on local discourse structure and on world knowledge. The characterization of local discourse structure is based on recent work on centering, which provides a specific formulation of how the ways in which sentences make reference to common entities determines the coherence of discourse segments and how discourse structure influences interpretation of ambiguous pronouns. The results of the first experiment show that readers generate a default interpretation of a pronoun based on features of local discourse structure, and that that default interpretation is later confirmed or overridden by knowledge-based processes. The results of the second experiment show that local discourse structure continues to influence pronoun interpretation even when the semantic information that ultimately compels interpretation occurs before the pronoun. These results support the view that processes acting on local discourse structure play a powerful role in guiding language comprehension.     

阅读理解中的代词加工:先行词的距离与性别刻板印象的作用

采用眼动技术,本研究探讨了阅读理解中代词的加工机制.读者阅读包含代词的文本,代词的性别与先行词的性别刻板印象一致或违背,同时其和先行词间的距离或远或近,记录被试阅读文本的眼动轨迹.结果发现,与一致条件相比,违背条件的加工时间更长.当代词和先行词间距离较近时,一致性效应在关键代词区的反映早期加工的眼动指标上即出现,而当二者间距离较远时,一致性效应在更后的位置(代词后那一区域)出现,并且只出现在反映晚期加工的眼动指标上.此外,与远距离一致条件相比,近距离一致条件下代词后那一区域的阅读时间更长.上述结果表明,性别刻板印象以及距离在代词加工皆发挥重要作用,而且性别刻板印象产生的影响在时程上因距离的不同而不同.这一结果在一定程度上为语言理解的交互作用理论提供了证据.     

Pronoun resolution and discourse models.

Psychological investigations of pronoun resolution have implicitly assumed that the processes involved automatically provide a unique referent for every pronoun. We challenge this assumption and propose a new framework for studying pronoun resolution. Drawing on advances in discourse representation and global memory modeling, this framework suggests that automatic processes may not always identify a unique referent for a pronoun. In 9 experiments, we demonstrate that, unlike noun anaphors, pronouns sometimes do not produce relative facilitation of their referents in comparison with nonreferents. We argue that research on pronoun resolution must consider the discourse contexts in which pronouns are likely to occur.     

The Development of Anaphora Resolution at the Syntax-Discourse Interface: Pronominal Subjects in Greek Learners of Spanish

This study explores the development of anaphora resolution (AR) in late sequential bilinguals, namely, adult Greek learners of Spanish at three proficiency levels (intermediate, lower advanced, upper advanced). The use of an overt/null pronominal subject anaphor is investigated in three discourse contexts: topic-continuity (a single antecedent requiring a null pronoun), contrastive-focus (two same-gender potential antecedents requiring an overt pronoun to avoid ambiguity) and emphatic (three same-gender potential antecedents showing unclear preference for either overt or null pronoun). Crucially, AR behaves similarly in Greek and Spanish. Results from an offline contextualised acceptability judgement task show that similarity between the learner’s first (L1) and second (L2) languages does not necessarily facilitate the learning task. Even very advanced learners show deficits, which are selective since not all discursive contexts are equally affected. The results are better accounted for by general pragmatic economy principles: Learners prefer being redundant (overuse of overt pronouns in topic-continuity contexts) to ambiguous (acceptance of null pronouns in contrastive-focus contexts). Such tolerance for redundancy may reflect a more general pragmatic tendency, as also reported in child L1 development, adult L2 development and also in native grammars.