Context Improves Comprehension of Fronted Objects

• Published in: Journal of psycholinguistic research Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 125 - 140
• Main Authors: Kristensen, Line Burholt, Engberg-Pedersen, Elisabeth, Poulsen, Mads
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.04.2014; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Accuracy; Adolescent; Adult; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Clauses; Cognitive Psychology; Comprehension; Comprehension - physiology; Context; Context Effect; Correlation; Danish; Denmark; Feedback (Response); Female; Females; Humans; Hypotheses; Indo European Languages; Language Processing; Language Variation; Male; Phrase Structure; Pragmatics; Psycholinguistics; Psycholinguistics - methods; Psychology; Reaction Time; Reaction Time - physiology; Reading; Reading Comprehension; Reading Processes; Reading Research; Response Time; Semiotics; Sentences; Syntactic Processing; Syntax; Word Order; Young Adult; Denmark; Context; Sentence processing; Word order; Syntax; Comprehension
• ISSN: 0090-6905; 1573-6555; 1573-6555
• DOI: 10.1007/s10936-013-9241-y

Object-initial clauses (OCs) are associated with more processing difficulties than subject-initial clauses (SCs) in a number of languages (e.g. English, German and Finnish), but a supportive context can reduce or neutralize the difference between SCs and OCs with respect to reading times. Still, it is unresolved how context can affect the comprehension of OCs. In the present self-paced reading study of Danish, we therefore investigated both reading times, comprehension accuracy and response times for OCs and SCs. In line with previous studies on word order processing, OCs in an unsupportive context showed longer reading times than SCs, longer response times and a comprehension accuracy as poor as chance level. A manipulation of context showed no effect of reading time, but a supportive context had a stronger facilitating effect on comprehension (response accuracy and response time) for OCs than for SCs.