Great expectations: Print exposure predicts resolution of quantifier scope ambiguity.

Abstract

It is well established that in sentences exhibiting quantifier scope ambiguity such as "a hiker climbed every hill," the surface scope interpretation (where a single hiker climbed all relevant hills) is preferred over the inverse scope interpretation (where multiple hikers each climbed potentially different hills). However, less is known about how individual differences modulate these preferences. In this study, we asked how language experience, as measured by print exposure, affects acceptability judgments and reaction times for surface versus inverse interpretations of sentences with quantifier scope ambiguity. We found that print exposure predicts both of these measures: participants with higher scores on measures of print exposure gave ambiguous sentences lower ratings than participants with lower levels of print exposure and had significantly longer reaction times for inverse scope items in particular than participants with lower levels of print exposure. We conclude that high print exposure may strengthen expectations for the dominant surface scope interpretation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).