含原因状语从句的英语复合句命题表征项目顺序特点

Item Order Characteristics of Proposition Representations of English Causational Clauses

采用句子-图画验证任务(sentence-picture verification task)探讨了英语母语者理解含原因状语从句的英语复合句所形成的命题表征项目顺序特点。结果表明,无论含原因状语从句的英语复合句的语言表达顺序如何,英语母语者阅读后所建构的命题表征中项目顺序均为"结果→原因"。本研究结果初步表明,英语母语者理解含原因状语从句的英语复合句是一个按照"结果→原因"固定方向进行系列加工的认知过程。

This paper describes the experiment designed to examine the item order of proposition representations of English causational clauses,using sentence-picture verification task.It is found that English native language readers tend to build up their proposition representations for compound sentences in the form of 'effect→cause' order,no matter what order in the causational clauses is used.This result indicates that English readers probably have a series of cognitive processing according to inherent directionality of 'effect→cause' when they read English causational clauses.