Language and reading- sentence processing

Question 1

Syntax

Answer 1

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language

Question 2

Tree diagrams for sentences

Answer 2

-Depicts the way that words are structured into phrases, clauses and sentences
-Upside down, root at the top
Each sentence can be broken down into smaller constituents (nodes)
-Nodes are connected via branches

Question 3

Syntactic ambiguity

Answer 3

Where one clause or sentence may have more than one interpretation given the potential grammatical functions of the individual words

Question 4

Global ambiguity

Answer 4

Ambiguous throughout the sentence

Question 5

Temporal ambiguity

Answer 5

Starts out ambiguous but only one interpretation at the end

Question 6

Garden path sentences

Answer 6

The early part of the sentence leads the reader ‘down the garden path’ towards the wrong interpretation

Question 7

Why do we initially prefer one interpretation of a syntactically ambiguous sentence to another?

Answer 7

We choose the simplest structure based on minimal attachment and late closure

Question 8

Minimal attachment

Answer 8

Build a tree with fewest nodes
Realign if sentence doesn’t make sense

Question 9

Late closure

Answer 9

Attach ambiguous phrase to most recently mentioned phrase
Less demanding on working memory

Question 10

The different sources of information are known as …..

Answer 10

Constraints

Question 11

Parsing

Answer 11

The process of assigning syntactic structure to a sentence

Question 12

Parallel models

Answer 12

Allow many factor to influence the parsing process
All relevant sources of information are available to the parser and are considered in parallel
eg. constraint satisfaction

Question 13

Constraint satisfaction

Answer 13

Competing sentence structure are activated simultaneously
the syntactic structure receiving the most support from all the constraints is then activated and chosen

Question 14

Unrestricted race model

Answer 14

Model of syntactic processing
Combines features of garden path theory and constraint satisfaction

Question 15

Non-literal language

Answer 15

When the intended meaning can’t be derived by direct composition of the literal meanings of the words guided by the grammar

Question 16

Figurative language

Answer 16

One thing is said in order to express another
eg. metaphor, idiom, irony

Question 17

Metaphor

Answer 17

An expression that describes a person or object in a literary way by referring to something that is considered to possess similar characteristics to the person or object you are trying to describe

Question 18

Idiom

Answer 18

A group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meaning of each word understood on its own

Question 19

Irony

Answer 19

A means of expression that suggests a different meaning for the words used
Usually humorous or angry

Question 20

Theories designed to explain how non-literal language is understood

Answer 20

Standard pragmatic view
Graded salience hypothesis
Direct access view

Question 21

Processing of irony- standard pragmatic view

Answer 21

Literal meaning is accessed first, mismatch with context detected, the utterance is then reanalysed as being ironic
Result: processing cost for ironic language compared to same utterance intended literally

Question 22

Processing of irony- graded alliance hypothesis

Answer 22

Treats familiar ironic utterances the same way as literal as heard so many times
Has an entry in mental lexicon
For unfamiliar: Literal meaning accessed first then reanalysis must occur
Result: processing cost for unfamiliar ironies only

Question 23

Processing of irony- direct access view

Answer 23

Literal and ironic language treated the same way
Ironic meaning can be accessed without accessing literal meaning first
Result: no additional processing cost for ironic language