Exploring the nature of the ‘subject’-preference: Evidence from the online comprehension of simple sentences in Mandarin Chinese

References

• Bader , M. and Meng , M. 1999 . Subject-object ambiguities in German embedded clauses: An across-the-board comparison . Journal of Psycholinguistic Research , 28 : 121 – 143 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bickel , B. in press . Grammatical relations typology . In J. Jung Song , The Oxford handbook of language typology . Oxford, , UK : Oxford University Press .
   Google Scholar
• Bisang , W. 2006 . “ From meaning to syntax – semantic roles and beyond ” . In Semantic role universals and argument linking: Theoretical, typological and psycholinguistic perspectives , Edited by: Bornkessel , I. , Schlesewsky , M. , Comrie , B. and Friederici , A. D. 191 – 236 . Berlin : Mouton de Gruyter .
   Google Scholar
• Bornkessel , I. , Fiebach , C. J. and Friederici , A. D. 2004 . On the cost of syntactic ambiguity in human language comprehension: an individual differences approach . Cognitive Brain Research , 21 : 11 – 21 .
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Bornkessel , I. , McElree , B. , Schlesewsky , M. and Friederici , A. D. 2004 . Multi-dimensional contributions to garden path strength: Dissociating phrase structure from case marking . Journal of Memory and Language , 51 : 495 – 522 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bornkessel , I. and Schlesewsky , M. 2006 . The Extended Argument Dependency Model: A neurocognitive approach to sentence comprehension across languages . Psychological Review , 113 : 787 – 821 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bresnan , J. 2001 . Lexical-functional syntax , Oxford, , UK : Blackwell .
   Google Scholar
• Casado , P. , Martín-Loeches , M. , Muñoz , F. and Fernández-Frías , C. 2005 . Are semantic and syntactic cues inducing the same processes in the identification of word order? . Cognitive Brain Research , 24 : 526 – 543 .
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Chomsky , N. 1981 . Lectures on government and binding , Dordrecht, the Netherlands : Kluwer .
   Google Scholar
• Comrie , B. 1978 . “ Ergativity ” . In Syntactic typology: studies in the phenomenology of language , Edited by: Lehmann , W. P. Austin, TX : University of Texas Press .
   Google Scholar
• Comrie , B. 1989 . Linguistic universals and language typology , 2nd ed. , Oxford : Blackwell .
   Google Scholar
• Crocker , M. W. 1994 . “ On the nature of the principle-based sentence processor ” . In Perspectives on sentence processing , Edited by: Clifton , C. , Frazier , L. and Rayner , K. 245 – 266 . Hillsdale, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates .
   Google Scholar
• Croft , W. 2001 . Radical construction grammar , Oxford, , UK : Oxford University Press .
   Google Scholar
• de Vincenzi , M. 1991 . Syntactic parsing strategies in Italian , Dordrecht, the Netherlands : Kluwer .
   Google Scholar
• Demiral , B 2007 . Incremental argument interpretation in Turkish sentence comprehension . Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Leipzig .
   Google Scholar
• Demiral , S. B. , Schlesewsky , M. and Bornkessel-Schlesewsky , I. 2008 . On the universality of language comprehension strategies: Evidence from Turkish . Cognition , 106 : 484 – 500 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• DuBois , J. W. 1987 . The discourse basis of ergativity . Language , 63 : 805 – 855 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• DuBois , J. W. , Kumpf , L. E. , & Ashby , W. J. 2003 . Preferred argument structure: grammar as architecture for function . Amsterdam : John Benjamins .
   Google Scholar
• Farrell , P. 2005 . Grammatical relations , Oxford, , UK : Oxford University Press .
   Google Scholar
• Fodor , J. D. 1978 . Parsing strategies and constraints on transformations . Linguistic Inquiry , 9 : 427 – 473 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Frazier , L. and Flores d'Arcais , G. B. 1989 . Filler-driven parsing: A study of gap filling in Dutch . Journal of Memory and Language , 28 : 331 – 344 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Friederici , A. D. and Mecklinger , A. 1996 . Syntactic parsing as revealed by brain responses: First pass and second pass parsing processes . Journal of Psycholinguistic Research , 25 : 157 – 176 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Friederici , A. D. , Mecklinger , A. , Spencer , K. M. , Steinhauer , K. and Donchin , E. 2001 . Syntactic parsing preferences and their on-line revisions: a spatio-temporal analysis of event-related brain potentials . Cognitive Brain Research , 11 : 305 – 323 .
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Gibson , E. 1998 . Linguistic complexity: Locality of syntactic dependencies . Cognition , 68 : 1 – 76 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hagoort , P. , Brown , C. and Groothusen , J. 1993 . The syntactic positive shift (SPS) as an ERP measure of syntactic processing . Language and Cognitive Processes , 8 : 439 – 483 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Haupt , F. S. Schlesewsky , M. Roehm , D. Friederici , A. D. & Bornkessel-Schlesewsky , I. 2008 . The status of subject-object reanalyses in the language comprehension architecture . Journal of Memory and Language , 59 , 54 96 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Hoeks , J. C. J. , Stowe , L. A. and Doedens , G. 2004 . Seeing words in context: The interaction of lexical and sentence level information during reading . Cognitive Brain Research , 19 : 59 – 73 .
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Holmes , V. M. and O'Regan , J. K. 1981 . Eye fixation patterns during the reading of relative-clause sentences . Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior , 20 : 417 – 430 .
   Google Scholar
• Hsiao , F. and Gibson , E. 2003 . Processing relative clauses in Chinese . Cognition , 90 : 3 – 27 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Huynh , H. and Feldt , L. S. 1970 . Conditions under which the mean-square ratios in repeated measurement designs have exact F-distributions . Journal of the American Statistical Association , 65 : 1582 – 1589 .
   Google Scholar
• Kaan , E. , Harris , A. , Gibson , E. and Holcomb , P. 2000 . The P600 as an index of syntactic integration difficulty . Language and Cognitive Processes , 15 : 159 – 201 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Keppel , G. 1991 . Design and analysis , 3rd ed. , Englewood Cliffs, NJ : Prentice Hall .
   Google Scholar
• Kim , A. and Osterhout , L. 2005 . The independence of combinatory semantic processing: Evidence from event-related potentials . Journal of Memory and Language , 52 : 205 – 225 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• King , J. W. and Just , M. A. 1991 . Individual differences in syntactic processing: The role of working memory . Journal of Memory and Language , 30 : 580 – 602 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kolk , H. H. J. , Chwilla , D. J. , van Herten , M. and Oor , P. J. 2003 . Structure and limited capacity in verbal working memory: A study with event-related potentials . Brain and Language , 85 : 1 – 36 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kuperberg , G. R. , Kreher , D. A. , Sitnikova , T. , Caplan , D. N. and Holcomb , P. J. 2007 . The role of animacy and thematic relationships in processing active English sentence: Evidence from event-related potentials . Brain and Language , 100 : 223 – 237 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kuperberg , G. R. , Sitnikova , T. , Caplan , D. and Holcomb , P. 2003 . Electrophysiological distinctions in processing conceptual relationships within simple sentences . Cognitive Brain Research , 17 : 117 – 129 .
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Kutas , M. and Federmeier , K. D. 2000 . Electrophysiology reveals semantic memory use in language comprehension . Trends in Cognitive Sciences , 4 : 463 – 469 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kutas , M. , Van Petten , C. and Kluender , R. 2006 . “ Psycholinguistics electrified II (1994–2005) ” . In Handbook of psycholinguistics , 2nd ed , Edited by: Traxler , M. and Gernsbacher , M. A. 659 – 724 . London : Elsevier .
   Google Scholar
• LaPolla , R. 1993 . Arguments against ‘subject’ and ‘object’ as viable concepts in Chinese . Bulletin of the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica , 63 : 759 – 813 .
   Google Scholar
• Lee , M.-W. 2004 . Another look at the role of empty categories in sentence processing (and grammar) . Journal of Psycholinguistic Research , 33 : 51 – 73 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Leuckefeld , K. 2005 . The development of argument processing mechanisms in German: An electrophysiological study with school-aged children and adults , Leipzig : Max Planck Series in Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences .
   Google Scholar
• Li , C. N. and Thompson , S. A. 1976 . “ Subject and topic: A new typology of language ” . In Subject and topic , Edited by: Li , C. N. 457 – 489 . New York : Academic Press .
   Google Scholar
• Li , C. N. and Thompson , S. A. 1981 . Mandarin Chinese: A functional reference grammar , Berkeley/Los Angeles, CA : The University of California Press .
   Google Scholar
• Li , P. 1990 . Aspect and aktionsart in child Mandarin . Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Leiden .
   Google Scholar
• Li , P. , Bates , E. and MacWhinney , B. 1993 . Processing a language without inflections: A reaction time study of sentence interpretation in Chinese . Journal of Memory and Language , 32 : 169 – 192 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lin , C.-J. C. and Bever , T. G. 2006 . “ Subject preference in the processing of relative clauses in Chinese ” . In Proceedings of the 25th West Coast Conference on Formal Linguistics , Edited by: Baumer , D. , Montero , D. and Scanlon , M. 254 – 260 . Somerville, MA : Cascadilla Proceedings Project .
   Google Scholar
• Lu , J.-M. 1980 . Hanyu kouyu jufa-li de yiwei xianxiang [‘On reversed sentence patterns in spoken Chinese’] . Zhongguo Yuwen [‘The Chinese Language’] , 1 : 28 – 41 .
   Google Scholar
• Modern Chinese Frequency Dictionary (in Chinese) 1986 . Beijing : Beijing Language and Culture University Press .
   Google Scholar
• Miao , X.-C. , Chen , G. and Ying , H. 1986 . “ Sentence comprehension in Chinese ” . In Studies in child language development , Edited by: Zhu , M. Shanghai : East China Normal University Press .
   Google Scholar
• Nichols , J. 1993 . Ergativity and linguistic geography . Australian Journal of Linguistics , 13 : 39 – 89 .
   Google Scholar
• Nichols , J. 2003 . “ Diversity and stability in language ” . In Handbook of historical linguistics , Edited by: Janda , R. D. and Joseph , B. D. 283 – 310 . London : Blackwell .
   Google Scholar
• Oldfield , R. C. 1971 . The assessment and analysis of handedness: The Edinburgh inventory . Neuropsychologia , 9 : 97 – 113 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Osterhout , L. and Holcomb , P. 1992 . Event-related brain potentials elicited by syntactic anomaly . Journal of Memory and Language , 31 : 785 – 806 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Osterhout , L. and Holcomb , P. 1993 . Event-related potentials and syntactic anomaly: Evidence of anomaly detection during the perception of continuous speech . Language and Cognitive Processes , 8 : 413 – 437 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Osterhout , L. , Holcomb , P. and Swinney , D. 1994 . Brain potentials elicited by garden path sentences: Evidence of the application of verb information during parsing . Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition , 20 : 786 – 803 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Packard , J. , Ye , Z. , & Zhou , X. 2006 . ERP evidence for verb selectional restrictions in Mandarin relative clauses . Paper presented at the Chicago Workshop on Chinese Linguistics, Chicago .
   Google Scholar
• Penolazzi , B. , de Vincenzi , M. , Angrilli , A. and Job , R. 2005 . Processing of temporary syntactic ambiguity in Italian ‘who’-questions: a study with event-related potentials . Neuroscience Letters , 377 : 91 – 96 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Philipp , M. Bornkessel-Schlesewsky , I. Bisang , W. & Schlesewsky , M. 2008 . The role of animacy in the real time comprehension of Mandarin Chinese: Evidence from auditory event-related brain potentials . Brain and Language , 150 , 112 133 .
   Google Scholar
• Scheepers , C. , Hemforth , B. and Konieczny , L. 2000 . “ Linking syntactic functions with thematic roles: Psych-verbs and the resolution of subject-object ambiguity ” . In German sentence processing , Edited by: Hemforth , B. and Konieczny , L. 95 – 135 . Dordrecht, the Netherlands : Kluwer .
   Google Scholar
• Schlesewsky , M. and Bornkessel , I. 2006 . Context-sensitive neural responses to conflict resolution: Electrophysiological evidence from subject-object ambiguities in language comprehension . Brain Research , 1098 : 139 – 152 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Schlesewsky , M. and Friederici , A. D. 2003 . “ Sentence processing, mechanisms ” . In Encyclopedia of cognitive science , Edited by: Nadel , L. Vol. 3 , 1149 – 1155 . New York : Nature Publishing Group .
   Google Scholar
• Schlesewsky , M. , Fanselow , G. , Kliegl , R. and Krems , J. 2000 . “ The subject preference in the processing of locally ambiguous wh-questions in German ” . In German sentence processing , Edited by: Hemforth , B. and Konieczny , L. 65 – 93 . Dordrecht, the Netherlands : Kluwer .
   Google Scholar
• Schriefers , H. , Friederici , A. D. and Kühn , K. 1995 . The processing of locally ambiguous relative clauses in German . Journal of Memory and Language , 34 : 499 – 520 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Sun , C.-F. 1991 . Transitivity and the ba construction . Paper presented at the 3rd North American Conference on Chinese Linguistics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA .
   Google Scholar
• Sun , C.-F. and Givón , T. 1985 . On the so-called SOV word order in Mandarin Chinese: A quantified text study and its implications . Language , 61 : 329 – 351 .
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ura , H. 2000 . Checking theory and grammatical functions in universal grammar , Oxford : Oxford University Press .
   Google Scholar
• Van Valin , R. D. Jr . 2005 . Exploring the syntax–semantics interface , Cambridge : Cambridge University Press .
   Google Scholar
• Vissers , C. T. W. M. , Chwilla , D. J. and Kolk , H. H. J. 2006 . Monitoring in language perception: The effect of misspellings of words in highly constrained sentences . Brain Research , 1106 : 150 – 163 .
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Wolff , S. , Schlesewsky , M. , & Bornkessel-Schlesewsky , I. 2007 . The interaction of universal and language-specific properties in the neurocognition of language: Evidence from the processing of word order permutations in Japanese . Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Supplement .
   Google Scholar