Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity
description
Transcript of Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity
![Page 1: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Dianne Bradley, Eva Fernández & Dianne Taylor
Graduate Center & Queens College • [email protected]
16th Annual CUNY Conference on Human Sentence ProcessingCambridge MA ۰ 27-29 March 2003
Prosodic weight versus information load
in the RC attachment ambiguity
CUNY GC • QC
![Page 2: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
RC Attachment: IllustrationN1
The plot concerns the guardian of the prince
who was exiledfrom the country for decadesRC
La trama es sobre el guardián del príncipeque fue exiliado
del país por décadas
N2
![Page 3: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
RC-Length & Attachment: Accounts Informativeness Hypothesis
• e.g., Hemforth and colleagues
Implicit Prosody Hypothesis• Fodor and colleagues
![Page 4: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
RC-Length & RC-Content
… who was exiled… who was exiled from the country for decades
Long RC has more lexical content, hence more informative than Short, necessarily?
Informativeness per se may
influence the preferred attachment
![Page 5: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Informativeness & RC-Length Informativeness Hypothesis
[Hemforth and colleagues]
• cf. Relativized Relevance (Frazier 1990) Predicate Proximity (Gibson et al.
1996)• The likelihood that modification applies to
an element central to the assertion increases with the modifier’s informativeness
Length Effects • N1 an argument of the main verb, cf. N2
![Page 6: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Prosody & RC-Attachment Implicit Prosody Hypothesis
[Fodor and colleagues]
• Attachment preferences in silent reading• “In silent reading, a default prosodic
contour is projected onto the stimulus, and it
mayinfluence syntactic ambiguity
resolution” (Fodor 1998, 2002)
![Page 7: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Prosody & RC-Length Alignment: Optimally, prosodic
phrase breaks and syntactic phrase breaks edge-align
If RC is separately phrased, N1 attachment (but not N2 attachment) satisfies alignment
Reconfigure syntax accordingly
![Page 8: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Why Phrase RC Separately?
Balance1… {N1-of-N2}
{ RC }
Balance2{(S) V N1-of-N2}
{ RC }
RC-Privilege… }
{ [RC
![Page 9: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Extra Weight in Remote Left Context?
Informativeness
Balance1… {N1-of-N2}
{ RC }
Balance2{(S) V N1-of-N2}
{ RC }
RC-Privilege… } { [RC
PREDICTION• Irrelevant• No change in N1 attachment
• Irrelevant• No change in N1 attachment
• Balance point moves leftward, e.g., … N1} {of-N2 RC}
• Less N1 attachment
• More likely, … N2} {RC …• More N1 attachment
e.g., The unusual plot concerns …
![Page 10: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
RoadmapBehavioral data: More N1 attachment?
RC LengthSubject Weight
Therefore:InformativenessBalance1Balance2RC-Privilege
Acoustic data: Phrase break?… N2 ] [ RCElsewhere
?
![Page 11: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Questionnaire Materials RC Length Matrix-Subject Weight
•RC has 1 versus 3 prosodic words •MX has 1 versus 2 prosodic words
The plot concerns the guardian of the prince who was exiled. The plot concerns the guardian of the prince who was exiled …
from the country for decades.The unusual plot concerns the guardian of the prince who was exiled. The unusual plot concerns the guardian of the prince who was exiled …
from the country for decades.
N = 36 sentence quadruples•Assessed and adjusted to eliminate inherent
plausibility bias favoring either N1 or N2
![Page 12: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Contextualized Plausibility Test
“Circle one number to record your judgment of the relative plausibility of Sentences A and B, in the context set up by the initial sentence.”A>>B B>>A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The plot concerns the guardian of the prince.
A. The guardian was exiled.B. The prince was exiled.
![Page 13: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Questionnaire Procedure “Reading comprehension test” 36 targets, 108 fillers (1:3 ratio) Comprehension question after each sentence
Example of target The plot concerns the guardian of the prince who was exiled from the country for decades.
Who was exiled? the guardian the prince
Example of filler The sneaky burglars took all the stereo equipment but overlookedthe computer system.
What was stolen? the stereo the computer
![Page 14: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Questionnaire Participants N = 44, Queens College students US English speakers Language-history questionnaire, non-
nativespeakers excluded/replaced
Rejected/replaced for errors > 15% in fillers
![Page 15: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Results: Preference Questionnaire
30
40
50
60
70
1 PWd 3 PWdsRelative Clause Length
% N
1 At
tach
men
t MX, 2 PWdsMX, 1 PWd
Relative Clause Length F1(1,40) = 24.95, p<.001 F2(1,32) = 30.12, p<.001Matrix Subject Weight F1(1,40) = 5.51, p<.05 F2(1,32) = 9.43, p<.01
Interaction F1 < 1 F2 < 1
![Page 16: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Roadmap … so farBehavioral data: More N1 attachment?
RC LengthSubject Weight
Therefore:InformativenessBalance1Balance2RC-Privilege
Acoustic data: Phrase break?… N2 ] [ RCElsewhere
?
![Page 17: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Overt Prosody StudyIn overt prosody, are sentences with
heavierRCs and/or heavier subjects,
systematically,likely to be phrased as … N2] [RC … ?
Procedure: Elicited production Measure: Duration
![Page 18: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Elicited ProductionN = 8 native US English speakers —
5F, 3MN = 6 4 sentences,
RC Length Matrix-Subject Weight•RC = 1 versus 3 prosodic words
…who was exiled ( from the country for decades )
•MX = 1 versus 2 prosodic wordsThe ( unusual ) plot…
![Page 19: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Combine two simplex sentences into complex sentence with N1-of-N2-RC
Simplex sentence pair disambiguates attachment
The plot concerns the guardian of the prince.The prince was exiled.
The plot concerns the guardian of the prince who was exiled.
![Page 20: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
The plot concerns the guardian of the prince who was exiled.
The plot concerns the guardian of the prince.The prince was exiled.
The plot concerns the guardian of the prince who was exiled.
… the guardian of the princes who was exiled.… the guardians of the prince who was exiled.
… the guardian of the princess who killed himself.… the guardian of the princess who killed herself.
The guardianThe prince
The plot concerns the guardian of the prince who was exiled.
![Page 21: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
RC is consistently attached to N2• RC attached to site dictated by Late
Closure• Cards stacked against the RC Privilege
prediction
The plot concerns the guardian of the prince.The prince was exiled.
The plot concerns the guardian of the prince who was exiled.
![Page 22: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
The unusual plot concerns the guardian of the prince.The prince was exiled from the country for decades.
1
![Page 23: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Acoustic Analysis: Regions
The( unusual )
plot concerns theguardian
of
theprince
who wasexiled
( from the countryfor decades )
Wt S V N1 N2 RC1 RC3
Duration: Uniform acoustic signature of phrasal break
![Page 24: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
Acoustic Analysis: Regions
S ] [ V V ] [ N1 N1 ] [ N2 N2 ] [ RC
![Page 25: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Wt S V N1 N2 RC1 RC3
Mea
n D
urat
ion
(mse
c)MX1, RC1 MX1, RC3MX2, RC1 MX2, RC3
N2] [RC
![Page 26: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Region = N2
450 500 550 600 650 700 750
RC1
RC3
Mean Duration (msec)
MX2MX1
RC: F1(1,7) = 11.46, p<.02 MX: F1(1,7) = 2.80, p=.138 F2(1,5) = 9.96, p<.05 F2(1,5) = 2.07, p=.209
Interaction MX x RC: F1 < 1, F2 (1,5) = 1.62, p > .25
![Page 27: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Roadmap: Destination ReportBehavioral data: More N1 attachment
RC LengthSubject Weight
Therefore:InformativenessBalance1Balance2RC-Privilege
Acoustic data: Phrase break
… N2 ] [ RCElsewhere
![Page 28: Prosodic weight versus information load in the RC attachment ambiguity](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062301/56816048550346895dcf6e61/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Our thanks to: Janet Dean Fodor Shukhan Ng CUNY Linguistics graduate students Fernanda Ferreira Research Institute for the Study ofL
anguage in an Urban Society