LP_W12

Sentence processing is:

• determining what parts of the brain are used to understand a sentence

• parsing a sentence and figuring out what it means

• making sure that each word in a sentence has meaning

If we hear “John wanted something sweet, and therefore he …”, we start looking at a picture of a cake rather than a pretzel. This means that:

• everyone likes cake more than pretzels, of course!

• our eyes look at what we hear in real time

• expectations are set up during sentence processing

Info used in sentence processing – Forty years ago, researchers believed the Garden Path Model that claims:

• we do a first parse based on syntax and then a second parse based on semantics

• we do a first parse based on semantics and then a second parse based on syntax

• we do only one parse using syntactic and semantic information together

Info used in sentence processing – In the last 10-20 years, researchers have come to believe the Constraints-Based Model that claims:

• we do a first parse based on syntax and then a second parse based on semantics

• we do a first parse based on semantics and then a second parse based on syntax

• we do only one parse using syntactic and semantic information together

Timing of sentence processing – Forty years ago, researchers believed that:

• we process incrementally (word by word) as we read the sentence

• we wait till the end of the sentence until we begin processing

• we sometimes process incrementally and sometimes wait until the end

Timing of sentence processing – In the last 10-20 years, researchers have come to believe that:

• we process incrementally (word by word) as we read the sentence

• we wait till the end of the sentence until we begin processing

• we sometimes process incrementally and sometimes wait until the end

Which of the following is NOT true about ambiguous sentences?

• they can be analyzed in two ways

• they usually need both syntax and semantics to get the correct analysis

• they show how argument structure and phonology interact

• they reveal how processing happens at certain points in the sentence

• they show how syntax and semantics are used separately

Which sentence is TEMPORARILY ambiguous?

• The horse raced past the barn fell

• The cow injured the farmer with the axe

Which sentence is PERMANENTLY ambiguous?

• The horse raced past the barn fell

• The cow injured the farmer with the axe

Changes in our understanding of the information used and timing of sentence processing have mostly happened because of:

• new statistical methods that allow us to calculate probabilities more precisely

• new insights into the plasticity of the brain related to language storage

• new technology like EEG and eye tracking where we can see processing in real time