Causality, subjectivity and mental spaces: Insights from on-line discourse processing

IF 1.8 1区 文学 0 LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS
S. Kleijn, W. Mak, T. Sanders
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引用次数: 3

Abstract

Abstract Research has shown that it requires less time to process information that is part of an objective causal relation describing states of affairs in the world (She was out of breath because she was running), than information that is part of a subjective relation (She must have been in a hurry because she was running) expressing a claim or conclusion and a supporting argument. Representing subjectivity seems to require extra cognitive operations. In Mental Spaces Theory (MST; Fauconnier, Gilles. 1994. Mental spaces: Aspects of meaning construction in natural language. Cambridge: MIT Press) the difference between these two relation types can be described in terms of an extra mental space in the discourse representation of subjective relations: representing the Subject of Consciousness (SoC). In processing terms, this might imply that the processing difference is not present if this SoC has already been established in the discourse. We tested this prediction in two eye tracking experiments. The results of Experiment 1 showed that signaling the subjectivity of the relation by introducing a subject of consciousness beforehand did not diminish the processing asymmetry compared to a neutral context. However, the relative complexity of subjective relations was diminished in the context of Free Indirect Speech (No! He was absolutely sure. There was no doubt about it. She was running so she was in hurry; Experiment 2). In terms of MST and the representation of subjectivity in general, this implies that not only creating a representation of a thinking subject, but also assigning a claim to this thinking subject requires extra processing effort.
因果关系、主体性与心理空间:来自在线话语处理的见解
研究表明,处理描述世界事务状态的客观因果关系的信息(她上气不接下气,因为她在跑步)比处理表达主张或结论和支持论点的主观关系的信息(她一定很匆忙,因为她在跑步)需要更少的时间。表现主体性似乎需要额外的认知操作。心理空间理论;吉尔。福科尼耶1994。心理空间:自然语言意义建构的几个方面。这两种关系类型之间的区别可以用主观关系话语表征中的额外心理空间来描述:表征意识主体(SoC)。在处理方面,这可能意味着如果这个SoC已经在话语中建立,则处理差异不存在。我们在两个眼动追踪实验中验证了这一预测。实验1的结果表明,与中性情境相比,通过事先引入意识主体来表明关系的主体性并没有减少加工的不对称性。然而,主观关系的相对复杂性在自由间接引语(No!他非常肯定。这是毫无疑问的。她在跑,所以她很匆忙;实验2)。就MST和一般主体性表征而言,这意味着不仅要创建一个思维主体的表征,还要为这个思维主体分配一个权利要求,这需要额外的处理努力。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
3.30
自引率
17.60%
发文量
21
期刊介绍: Cognitive Linguistics presents a forum for linguistic research of all kinds on the interaction between language and cognition. The journal focuses on language as an instrument for organizing, processing and conveying information. Cognitive Linguistics is a peer-reviewed journal of international scope and seeks to publish only works that represent a significant advancement to the theory or methods of cognitive linguistics, or that present an unknown or understudied phenomenon. Topics the structural characteristics of natural language categorization (such as prototypicality, cognitive models, metaphor, and imagery); the functional principles of linguistic organization, as illustrated by iconicity; the conceptual interface between syntax and semantics; the experiential background of language-in-use, including the cultural background; the relationship between language and thought, including matters of universality and language specificity.
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