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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: PDF
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
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  Data: 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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