Context Improves Comprehension of Fronted Objects

Abstract

Object-initial clauses (OCs) are associated with more processing difficulties than subject-initial clauses (SCs) in a number of languages (e.g. English, German and Finnish), but a supportive context can reduce or neutralize the difference between SCs and OCs with respect to reading times. Still, it is unresolved how context can affect the comprehension of OCs. In the present self-paced reading study of Danish, we therefore investigated both reading times, comprehension accuracy and response times for OCs and SCs. In line with previous studies on word order processing, OCs in an unsupportive context showed longer reading times than SCs, longer response times and a comprehension accuracy as poor as chance level. A manipulation of context showed no effect of reading time, but a supportive context had a stronger facilitating effect on comprehension (response accuracy and response time) for OCs than for SCs.

Cognitive Neuroscience of Natural Language Use

“…As expected, Kristensen et al (2013) found greater overall processing difficulties for OS sentences: Responses to comprehension questions were slower for OS sentences than for SO sentences, and responses were more frequently incorrect. However, the study also showed a significant improvement of comprehension when OS sentences occurred in supportive discourse context.…”

“…The effect of context on syntactic processing is seen in two recent studies of sentence processing in Danish (Kristensen, Engberg-Pedersen, & Poulsen, 2013;Kristensen, et al, in review). Danish is well-suited for examining word order processing, as both objects and subjects can occur in the first position of Danish clauses.…”

“…In a reading study, Kristensen et al (2013) The supportive context in 5) presents both the subject and the object of the target sentence and establishes a set of alternatives to the contrasted element (Anne vs. the other girls). While the supportive context for object-initial target clauses supports a contrastive reading of the object, the supportive context for subject-initial target clauses (not shown here, but see example 9) supports a contrastive reading of the subject.…”

“…In a reading study, Kristensen et al (2013) found that context supportiveness interacted with word order both for comprehension accuracy and for response time. Object-initial clauses were found to be more context-sensitive than subjectinitial ones, as context had a larger facilitating effect on the comprehension of object-initial clauses.…”

“…each sentence was presented in isolation. The main task of the neuroimaging experiment studied the processing patterns in context using stimuli similar to the behavioural experiment of Kristensen et al (2013). The main differences between the designs were that stimulus sentences in the neuroimaging experiment were spoken rather than written, that the target sentences involved case-marked pronouns (similar to the sentences in 1) and 2)) instead of proper nouns and that the context manipulation was slightly different.…”