REFERENCE

What is the binding theory?

• A theory of how different kinds of anaphors can refer to particular antecedents in particular syntactic positions.

• A theory of how people understand and interpret language that contains anaphors.

• A theory of how the brain processes language.

• A theory of how people learn a second language.

Which factor is not considered in psycholinguistic theories of anaphoric reference?

• Focus

• Uniqueness

• Salience

• Syntax

What is recency?

• Anaphors are more easily understood when they are produced soon after the antecedent.

• Anaphors are more easily understood when they are produced long after the antecedent.

• Anaphors are equally easy to understand regardless of when they are produced.

• None of the above.

Which type of anaphor includes proper names?

• Regular pronouns

• Reflexive pronouns

• R-expressions

• None of the above

What is the informational load?

• The amount of information conveyed by the anaphor.

• The amount of information conveyed by the antecedent.

• The amount of information conveyed by the context.

• The amount of information conveyed by the speaker.

What is one characteristic that makes anaphors easier to understand?

• Specificity

• Ambiguity

• Vagueness

• Complexity

Which type of referring expression conveys little or no information?

• Regular pronouns

• Reflexive pronouns

• Full noun phrases like "the bird"

• The pronoun "it"

What is the relationship between an anaphor and possible referents?

• It affects how listeners resolve the meaning of the anaphor.

• It has no effect on how listeners resolve the meaning of the anaphor.

• It only affects how speakers produce language.

• None of the above.

What is one syntactic cue that can help listeners identify which antecedent is most likely for an anaphor?

• The length of the antecedent

• The position of the antecedent in the sentence

• The gender of the antecedent

• The age of the antecedent

Which principle of binding theory says that a reflexive must be bound in the same clause?

• Principle A

• Principle B

• Principle C

• None of the above