Question 1

Which hypothesis holds the idea that comprehension impairment arises in people with agrammatism because although low-level parsing processes are intact, they are limited by what they can do with the results of these processes?

Accepted Answer

The Mapping Hypothesis suggests that individuals with agrammatism have intact low-level parsing processes but face difficulties in utilizing the outcomes of these processes for higher-level comprehension tasks. This hypothesis explains why people with agrammatism can recognize words and basic structures but struggle with understanding complex sentences or applying grammatical rules in comprehension.

Question 2

Which model of parsing explains the garden path effect in terms of discourse factors, such as the number of entities presupposed by the alternative constructions?

Accepted Answer

The Referential Theory explains the garden path effect by considering discourse factors, such as the number of entities presupposed by alternative constructions. This model suggests that sentences are easier to parse when they refer to entities already mentioned or implied in the discourse, leading to fewer misunderstandings and re-parsings.

Question 3

Which hypothesis states that people with an agrammatic comprehension deficit have difficulty in computing the relation between elements of a sentence that have been moved by a grammatical transformation and their origin, as well as in constructing the higher parts of the parse tree?

Accepted Answer

The hypothesis that states that people with an agrammatic comprehension deficit have difficulty in computing the relation between elements of a sentence that have been moved by a grammatical transformation and their origin, as well as in constructing the higher parts of the parse tree is called the trace-deletion hypothesis.

Question 4

According to which of the following models can we construct all possible syntactic representations in parallel, using solely syntactic information, and then use semantic or other information to choose the most appropriate one?

Accepted Answer

The Parallel autonomous model proposes that all possible syntactic representations are constructed in parallel and then semantic or other information is used to select the most appropriate one. This is in contrast to other models like Insubordinate reliance or Serial recall where the syntactic and semantic processing is more sequential or dependent on each other.

Question 5

The processor detects a gap, and fills it with a filler that is the most recent grammatically plausible filler. This is called the:

Accepted Answer

The strategy described is the recent filler strategy, where the processor fills a gap with the most recent grammatically plausible filler. The other answer choices are not related to this specific strategy.

Question 6

In constraint-based models, syntactic ambiguity is eventually resolved by:

Accepted Answer

In constraint-based models of language processing, syntactic ambiguity is resolved through competition among different interpretations. The model posits that multiple interpretations of an ambiguous sentence compete against each other until contextual cues and probabilistic knowledge of language use help in selecting the most appropriate interpretation.

Question 7

When a phrase is closed, it exits from short-term memory and is passed on to a second stage of deeper, semantic processing. This is the principle of:

Accepted Answer

The principle described is related to the processing of information, where it moves from short-term memory to deeper semantic processing.

Question 8

According to which principle are new words preferentially attached to the lowest possible node in the structure constructed so far, placing less of a load on memory?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to which principle are new words...

Question 9

When we find a trace, we appear to retrieve its associated antecedent - a process known as _______________ the dislocated constituent to the trace, thereby making it more accessible.

Accepted Answer

The process of retrieving the antecedent of a trace is known as "binding" in linguistics. This involves connecting the dislocated constituent (the trace) to its associated antecedent, allowing for better accessibility and comprehension.

Question 10

Which principle says that we prefer to attach incoming material to the clause or phrase currently being processed?

Accepted Answer

Late closure is the principle that suggests we prefer to attach new information to the clause or phrase currently being processed.

Question 11

Syntactic rules should be specified independently of other constraints; syntactic processes operate independently of others. This is the psychological principle of the:

Accepted Answer

The principle that syntactic rules should be specified independently of other constraints and that syntactic processes operate independently of others is known as the Autonomy of Syntax. This principle is important in linguistic theory and is supported by psycholinguistic research. It suggests that syntactic processes are largely automatic and not influenced by other factors such as semantics or world knowledge. Therefore, the correct answer is E.

Question 12

Tyler compared the performance of aphasic patients on an on-line measure (monitoring for a particular word) with that on an off-line measure (detecting an anomaly at the end of the sentence) She found patients who performed:

Accepted Answer

Tyler's findings suggest that aphasic patients can perform normally in real-time tasks (on-line) but struggle with tasks that require reflection after the fact (off-line), indicating a specific deficit in processing or memory retrieval rather than a general impairment.

Question 13

According to which model is syntactic ambiguity resolved by competition, which is long lasting but decreases as the sentence unfolds?

Accepted Answer

Syntactic ambiguity is resolved by competition according to the competition-integration model. This model suggests that multiple interpretations of a sentence are initially activated and compete with each other, but as the sentence unfolds, the competition gradually decreases and a single interpretation is ultimately selected.

Question 14

Which model says that we resolve ambiguity using minimal attachment and late closure, without semantic assistance?

Accepted Answer

The Garden path model suggests that when we encounter a sentence, we initially parse it in the simplest way possible (minimal attachment) and attach new information as it becomes available (late closure). This can lead to temporary syntactic ambiguity or "getting stuck" on a "garden path" interpretation until more information is provided. This model does not rely on semantic assistance to resolve ambiguity.

Question 15

A clause that modifies the main noun and is "reduced" because it lacks the relative pronoun "which" or "that" is called:

Accepted Answer

The answer of A clause that modifies the main noun...

Question 16

Who proposed seven principles of parsing to explain the behavior of the human sentence-parsing mechanism?

Accepted Answer

The seven principles of parsing were proposed by David R. Dowty and John W. Grove in 1969 and expanded upon by Gerald Gazdar and Geoffrey K. Pullum in 1982. However, notable linguist James D. McCawley also contributed to the development of these principles. There is no mention of Chomsky, Skinner, Tyler, or Piaget in relation to these principles.

Question 17

According to the sausage machine model there are two stages of parsing: The first stage is the called the _____________________, and it is followed by the _______________________.

Accepted Answer

The sausage machine model identifies two stages of parsing: the first stage is the preliminary phrase packager, which identifies and groups basic syntactic units, and this is followed by the sentence structure supervisor, which assembles the words into a coherent and meaningful sentence structure. Therefore, the correct answer is E, "Preliminary phrase packager; sentence structure supervisor".

Question 18

The approach in which syntactic constructions convey particular meanings that restrict what sorts of nouns and verbs can be used with them, and particularly what sort of verb-argument structures can be used, is called meaning through:

Accepted Answer

This approach is known as "syntax," which refers to the way in which words are organized to create a sentence or phrase. Syntax provides rules for how words and phrases can be combined to convey meaning, and it places restrictions on what sorts of noun and verb phrases are allowable in particular sentence structures.

Question 19

Which hypothesis emphasizes the role of exposure to language, and states that people resolve ambiguities in a way that has been successful in the past?

Accepted Answer

The tuning hypothesis emphasizes the role of exposure to language and states that people learn to resolve ambiguities in a way that has been successful in the past. This is done through a process of "tuning" or adjusting cognitive processes based on language input.

Question 20

According to which of the following models can various sources of information (e.g., semantic information) influence the syntactic processor at an early stage?

Accepted Answer

The Interactive model proposes that various sources of information can influence the syntactic processor at an early stage, allowing for a quick integration of semantic and syntactic information. In this model, the processing of different linguistic levels is interactive and mutually influential.

Quiz 10: Understanding the Structure of Sentences