The Role of Verification Strategies

This book investigates the contributions of the
parser and extra-linguistic
information in the selection of a final
interpretation of scopally ambiguous strings,
integrating data from both children and adults.
Previous research has found an advantage for surface
scope interpretations
in adult sentence processing (Tunstall, 1998) and in
children s
interpretive preferences (Musolino and Lidz, 2006).
In light of
these findings, we investigate the source of the
advantage for surface scope interpretations and the
factors that contribute
to children s ultimate adherence to surface scope
interpretations. In adults, we show that the source
of the advantage for surface scope interpretations
cannot be described by a parsing preference, but can
be described by the
ease of the verification strategy utilized for the
surface scope interpretation. In children, we suggest
that the non-adult-like interpretations observed
derive from an initial parser bias for inverse scope
interpretations, followed by
a period in which children have adult-like parsers,
but lack the the ability to integrate
discourse information as a means to inform the
process of ambiguity resolution.

Autorentext

Anastasia Conroy received her PhD from the University ofMaryland, College Park, where she studied child language acquisition.

Klappentext

This book investigates the contributions of theparser and extra-linguisticinformation in the selection of a finalinterpretation of scopally ambiguous strings,integrating data from both children and adults.Previous research has found an advantage for surfacescope interpretationsin adult sentence processing (Tunstall, 1998) and inchildren'sinterpretive preferences (Musolino and Lidz, 2006).In light ofthese findings, we investigate the source of theadvantage for surface scope interpretations and thefactors that contributeto children's ultimate adherence to surface scopeinterpretations. In adults, we show that the sourceof the advantage for surface scope interpretationscannot be described by a parsing preference, but canbe described by theease of the verification strategy utilized for thesurface scope interpretation. In children, we suggestthat the non-adult-like interpretations observedderive from an initial parser bias for inverse scopeinterpretations, followed bya period in which children have adult-like parsers,but lack the the ability to integratediscourse information as a means to inform theprocess of ambiguity resolution.