 2014 - 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 0627-4088-01 | Seminar in Psycholinguistics: Null Elements in Language | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| FACULTY OF HUMANITIES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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University credit hours: 2.0
Course description
Seminar in psycholinguistics: Null elements in language
In this seminar we'll discuss cases in which the mapping from overt linguistic material to semantic representation is not transparent, i.e. cases in which we assume phonetically null elements. We will explore how psycholinguistic evidence lends support to the existence of such invisible elements.
We will discuss the following structures/elements:
- Traces of syntactic movement
- Aspectual coercion
- Ellipsis
- Implicit arguments in passive sentences
During the course, students will design an experiment and run it on a number of participants.
Prerequisites: Beginners syntax, Psycholinguistics: Research methods and experimental design
Course requirements: reading, final paper
Selected references
1. Stowe, L.A. (1986). Parsing WH-constructions: Evidence for on-line gap location. Language and Cognitive Processes, 1, 227-245.
2. Tanenhaus, M.K. & Carlson, G.N. (1990). Comprehension of deep and surface verphrase anaphors. Language and Cognitive Processes, 5, 257-280.
3. Love, T. & Swinney, D. (1996). Coreference processing and levels of analysis in object relative constructions; Demonstration of antecedent reactivation with the cross-modal priming paradigm. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 25, 5-24.
4. Traxler, M.J. & Pickering, M.J. (1996). Plausibility and the processing of unbounded dependencies: An eye-tracking study. Journal of Memory and Language, 35, 454-475.
5. Piñango, M.M., Zurif, E., & Jackendoff, R. (1999). Real-time processing implications of enriched composition at the syntax-semantics interface. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 28, 395-414.
6. Mauner, G. & Koenig, J.-P. (2000). Linguistic vs. conceptual sources of implicit agents in sentence comprehension. Journal of Memory and Language, 43, 110-134.
7. Traxler, M.J., Pickering, M.J., & McElree, B. (2002). Coercion in sentence processing: Evidence from eye-movements and self-paced reading. Journal of Memory and Language, 47, 530-547.
8. Sussman, R.S., & Sedivy, J.C. (2003). The time-course of processing syntactic dependencies: Evidence from eye movements. Language and Cognitive Processes, 18, 143-163.
9. Phillips, C., Kazanina, N., & Abada, S.H. (2005). ERP effects of the processing of syntactic long-distance dependencies. Cognitive Brain Research, 22, 407-428.
10. Brennan, J. & Pylkkänen, L. (2008). Processing events: Behavioral and neuromagnetic correlates of aspectual coercion. Brain & Language, 106, 132-143.
11. Friedmann, N., Taranto, G., Shapiro, L.P., & Swinney, D. (2008). The leaf fell (the leaf): The online processing of unaccusatives. Linguistic Inquiry, 39, 355-377.
12. Thompson, C.K., & Choy, J.J. (2009). Pronominal resolution and gap filling in agrammatic aphasia: Evidence from eye movements. Journal of Psycholinguistics Research, 38, 255-283.
In this seminar we'll discuss cases in which the mapping from overt linguistic material to semantic representation is not transparent, i.e. cases in which we assume phonetically null elements. We will explore how psycholinguistic evidence lends support to the existence of such invisible elements.
We will discuss the following structures/elements:
- Traces of syntactic movement
- Aspectual coercion
- Ellipsis
- Implicit arguments in passive sentences
During the course, students will design an experiment and run it on a number of participants.
Prerequisites: Beginners syntax, Psycholinguistics: Research methods and experimental design
Course requirements: reading, final paper
Selected references
1. Stowe, L.A. (1986). Parsing WH-constructions: Evidence for on-line gap location. Language and Cognitive Processes, 1, 227-245.
2. Tanenhaus, M.K. & Carlson, G.N. (1990). Comprehension of deep and surface verphrase anaphors. Language and Cognitive Processes, 5, 257-280.
3. Love, T. & Swinney, D. (1996). Coreference processing and levels of analysis in object relative constructions; Demonstration of antecedent reactivation with the cross-modal priming paradigm. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 25, 5-24.
4. Traxler, M.J. & Pickering, M.J. (1996). Plausibility and the processing of unbounded dependencies: An eye-tracking study. Journal of Memory and Language, 35, 454-475.
5. Piñango, M.M., Zurif, E., & Jackendoff, R. (1999). Real-time processing implications of enriched composition at the syntax-semantics interface. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 28, 395-414.
6. Mauner, G. & Koenig, J.-P. (2000). Linguistic vs. conceptual sources of implicit agents in sentence comprehension. Journal of Memory and Language, 43, 110-134.
7. Traxler, M.J., Pickering, M.J., & McElree, B. (2002). Coercion in sentence processing: Evidence from eye-movements and self-paced reading. Journal of Memory and Language, 47, 530-547.
8. Sussman, R.S., & Sedivy, J.C. (2003). The time-course of processing syntactic dependencies: Evidence from eye movements. Language and Cognitive Processes, 18, 143-163.
9. Phillips, C., Kazanina, N., & Abada, S.H. (2005). ERP effects of the processing of syntactic long-distance dependencies. Cognitive Brain Research, 22, 407-428.
10. Brennan, J. & Pylkkänen, L. (2008). Processing events: Behavioral and neuromagnetic correlates of aspectual coercion. Brain & Language, 106, 132-143.
11. Friedmann, N., Taranto, G., Shapiro, L.P., & Swinney, D. (2008). The leaf fell (the leaf): The online processing of unaccusatives. Linguistic Inquiry, 39, 355-377.
12. Thompson, C.K., & Choy, J.J. (2009). Pronominal resolution and gap filling in agrammatic aphasia: Evidence from eye movements. Journal of Psycholinguistics Research, 38, 255-283.