Learning What 'Not' to Say: The Role of Statistical Preemption and Categorization in 'A'-Adjective Production
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| Title: | Learning What 'Not' to Say: The Role of Statistical Preemption and Categorization in 'A'-Adjective Production |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Boyd, Jeremy K., Goldberg, Adele E. |
| Source: | Language. Mar 2011 87(1):55-83. |
| Availability: | Linguistic Society of America. 1325 18th Street NW Suite 211, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-835-1714; Fax: 202-835-1717; Web site: http://www.lsadc.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Physical Description: | |
| Page Count: | 29 |
| Publication Date: | 2011 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Classification, Language Usage, Role, Form Classes (Languages), Language Acquisition, Language Processing, Language Research, Generalization |
| ISSN: | 0097-8507 |
| Abstract: | A persistent mystery in language acquisition is how speakers are able to learn seemingly arbitrary distributional restrictions. This article investigates one such case: the fact that speakers resist using certain adjectives prenominally (e.g. ??"the asleep man"). Experiment 1 indicates that speakers tentatively generalize or "categorize" the distributional restriction beyond their previous experience. Experiment 2 demonstrates that speakers are sensitive to "statistical preemption"--that is, speakers learn not to use a formulation if an alternative formulation with the same function is consistently witnessed. Moreover, they are able to generalize the restriction to apply to other members of the category as well. Finally, experiment 3 finds evidence that speakers "discount" a pseudopreemptive context, rationally ignoring it as uninformative. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2011 |
| Access URL: | https://www.lsadc.org/info/pubs-lang-toc.cfm |
| Accession Number: | EJ935912 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | A persistent mystery in language acquisition is how speakers are able to learn seemingly arbitrary distributional restrictions. This article investigates one such case: the fact that speakers resist using certain adjectives prenominally (e.g. ??"the asleep man"). Experiment 1 indicates that speakers tentatively generalize or "categorize" the distributional restriction beyond their previous experience. Experiment 2 demonstrates that speakers are sensitive to "statistical preemption"--that is, speakers learn not to use a formulation if an alternative formulation with the same function is consistently witnessed. Moreover, they are able to generalize the restriction to apply to other members of the category as well. Finally, experiment 3 finds evidence that speakers "discount" a pseudopreemptive context, rationally ignoring it as uninformative. |
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| ISSN: | 0097-8507 |
