Comprehending noun phrase arguments and adjuncts.

Full Abstract

Two experiments investigated how readers comprehend noun phrase (NP) arguments and adjuncts. Previous research suggested that argument phrases are processed more quickly than adjunct phrases (Clifton, Speer, & Abney, 1991; Kennison, 1999; Schütze & Gibson, 1999; Speer & Clifton, 1998). The present experiments investigated whether the type of verb in the sentence context could influence how NP arguments and adjuncts were processed. Reading time was measured on sentences containing NP arguments and adjuncts preceded either by verbs occurring most frequently with NP arguments (biased transitive verbs) or by verbs occurring most frequently without NP arguments (biased intransitive verbs) (e.g., "Meredith read/performed every play/week."). In Experiment 1, reading time was measured using a self-paced phrase-by-phrase moving window. In Experiment 2, reading time was measured using eye tracking. The results of both experiments indicated that, following biased transitive verbs, NP arguments were processed more quickly than NP adjuncts. When NPsfollowed biased intransitive verbs, there was no significant difference between the processing time of NP arguments and adjuncts.

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Author information

Author/s: Kenniso, Shelia M (SM);

Affiliation: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA. kenniso(-atsign-)okstate.edu

Grants: HD-07327 (Agency:NICHD NIH HHS) ; HD-18708 (Agency:NICHD NIH HHS) ; MH-19554 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Journal of psycholinguistic research (J Psycholinguist Res), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Jan; vol 31 (issue 1) : pp 65-81

Dates: Created 2002/04/01; Completed 2002/10/08; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 11924840, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Cognition
Humans

Humans
Linguistics

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