不同认知方式个体句法成分整合歧义消解的眼动研究

Cognitive style has strong influence on ambiguity resolution in sentence processing: Evidences from eye-movement tracking

句法成分依附歧义是人类语言领域内较为常见的语言现象,对于依附歧义消解机制的研究有利于揭示语言的深层加工机制。实验以汉语母语大学生为被试,采用固定步速主观评定和眼动追踪技术考查了汉语句法成分依附歧义消解机制的影响因素。离线结果显示,汉语领域内句法成分依附倾向于高依附偏好,而且该偏好不受修饰成分句法属性的影响,结果支持"谓词邻近句法整合理论"。眼动实验结果显示,认知方式对句法成分依附歧义消解机制有显著性影响,在句法成分依附歧义消解区域(NP2),两类被试在首次阅读时间、第一遍阅读时间、回视路径时间和总阅读时间上差异显著,具体表现为场依存型被试加工较为困难。实验在多项眼动指标上还发现了显著的句子类型主效应,多重比较发现,依附歧义句加工最为困难,其次是高依附句式,低依附句式加工最为容易。总之,汉语句法成分依附倾向于高依附偏好,但该倾向到受认知方式和依附成分语义信息的调节。

Sentences such as ＂Someone shot the servant of the actress who is on the balcony＂ were ambiguous, because the internal clause ＂who is on the balcony＂ was either attached to the non-local noun phrase ＂the servant＂, which is called high attachment preference, or attached to the local noun phrase ＂the actress＂, which is called low attachment preference. Currently available evidences in the literature demonstrated considerable cross-linguistic differences in relative clause attachment preferences in on-line and off-line processing. Different models of ambiguity resolution have been suggested to explain the cross-linguistic relative clause attachment preference. One of the most widely accepted accounts of attachment preference were the Parameter Variation Model developed by Gibson（1996）, which held that ambiguity resolution in sentence processing was guided by two principles： Recency and Predicate proximity. Investigating the mechanism of ambiguity resolution in sentence processing is more helpful for exploring the inner processing mechanism of human language. 170 participants were sampled for our experiment. Using off-line subjective ratings and eye-movement tracking, this paper investigated the influence of cognitive style on the preference of syntactic ingredients attachment by comparing two groups of participants＇ performances of ambiguity resolution in sentences processing. One group was identified with the field dependence in cognitive style, while the second group was the field independence. They were all native speakers with normal or corrected to normal insight, right handed. Materials used in the study were classified into three categories： sentence with ambiguity in attachment, sentence with high attachment preference, and sentence with low attachment preference. The results from off-line study showed that, in Chinese, readers preferred to attach the segments to the final noun phrase in sentence. In particular, this preference was not varied with the variation of the experimental materials. Results from the eye-movement tracking study showed that, cognitive style has significant impacts on the methods used to resolve the ambiguity in attachment. Specifically, readers with dependent cognitive style have more difficulties in resolving the ambiguity at regions of NP2, which was reflected in eye-movement indexes, such as the first fixation, the first run duration, the regression duration, and the total time. Additionally, we found significant differences in the three types of sentence processing. In general, sentences with ambiguity in attachment were most difficult to comprehend, and sentences with low attachment preference were easiest to process. In sum, participants with independent cognitive styles have more difficulties in resolving the ambiguities in syntactic ingredients attachment. Two opinions regarding the difficulties in ambiguity resolution for participants with independent cognitive styles were suggested. One argued that individuals with independent cognitive styles were inferior in inhibiting interference from other syntactic fragments in sentence processing. The other taught that the limited capacity in working memory was the key factor to impede individuals with independent cognitive styles to address syntactic ambiguity resolution with success.