英语弱跨越结构中代词约束的眼动研究

An Eye-tracking Study of Pronominal Binding in English Weak Crossover

心理语言学界对代词加工存在两种不同的态度。句法优先说学派认为,代词在线加工严格受句法原则的制约,只有位于合法位置的先行词才能约束代词;基于线索的检索机制模型则认为,语言加工器受语义线索的影响,不合法位置上的先行词若在性别等语义特征上与代词匹配,代词仍可被约束。本研究采用眼动技术,对比了英语补语从句和弱跨越句中代词的在线加工模式,有以下发现:早期眼动指标显示,代词虽在补语从句中受合法先行词约束,但在弱跨越结构中则完全自由;不过,晚期眼动指标及整句阅读时长显示,代词在弱跨越结构中受不合法位置先行词的影响。该研究结果说明加工早期句法原则优先,但在加工晚期,线索检索机制仍可影响代词加工。

There are two competing accounts on processing of pronouns. The syntax-first hypothesis claims that the processing of pronouns is strictly governed by syntactic constraints. Pronouns can only be bound from grammatically licit positions. On the other hand, the cue-based retrieval model argues that the language parser capitalizes on semantic cues in online processing. A grammatically illicit antecedent can bind the pronoun if there is gender or number feature match. The present study used eye-tracking technique to investigate the processing patterns of pronouns in English complement clauses and the weak crossover constructions. Eye-tracking measures indicating early processing stage showed that pronouns were bound by c-commanding antecedents in complement clauses but must be free in the weak crossover configuration. However, a late-stage eye-tracking measure and sentence reading time suggest that pronoun processing can still be influenced by illicit antecedents that match in gender cues. The results suggest that syntactic constraints have primacy over cue-based retrieval at the early stage of processing but are defeasible during the later processing stage by cue-based retrieval.