Syntactic Constraints and Individual Differences in Native and Non-Native Processing of Wh-Movement
dc.contributor.author | Johnson, Adrienne Marie | |
dc.contributor.author | Fiorentino, Robert | |
dc.contributor.author | Gabriele, Alison | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2017-11-06T17:12:51Z | |
dc.date.available | 2017-11-06T17:12:51Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2016-04-22 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Johnson, A., Fiorentino, R., & Gabriele, A. (2016). Syntactic Constraints and Individual Differences in Native and Non-Native Processing of Wh-Movement. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 549. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00549 | en_US |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1808/25266 | |
dc.description.abstract | There is a debate as to whether second language (L2) learners show qualitatively similar processing profiles as native speakers or whether L2 learners are restricted in their ability to use syntactic information during online processing. In the realm of wh-dependency resolution, research has examined whether learners, similar to native speakers, attempt to resolve wh-dependencies in grammatically licensed contexts but avoid positing gaps in illicit contexts such as islands. Also at issue is whether the avoidance of gap filling in islands is due to adherence to syntactic constraints or whether islands simply present processing bottlenecks. One approach has been to examine the relationship between processing abilities and the establishment of wh-dependencies in islands. Grammatical accounts of islands do not predict such a relationship as the parser should simply not predict gaps in illicit contexts. In contrast, a pattern of results showing that individuals with more processing resources are better able to establish wh-dependencies in islands could conceivably be compatible with certain processing accounts. In a self-paced reading experiment which examines the processing of wh-dependencies, we address both questions, examining whether native English speakers and Korean learners of English show qualitatively similar patterns and whether there is a relationship between working memory, as measured by counting span and reading span, and processing in both island and non-island contexts. The results of the self-paced reading experiment suggest that learners can use syntactic information on the same timecourse as native speakers, showing qualitative similarity between the two groups. Results of regression analyses did not reveal a significant relationship between working memory and the establishment of wh-dependencies in islands but we did observe significant relationships between working memory and the processing of licit wh-dependencies. As the contexts in which these relationships emerged differed for learners and native speakers, our results call for further research examining individual differences in dependency resolution in both populations. | en_US |
dc.publisher | Frontiers Media | en_US |
dc.rights | Copyright © 2016 Johnson, Fiorentino and Gabriele. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. | en_US |
dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | en_US |
dc.subject | Wh-dependencies | en_US |
dc.subject | Individual differences | en_US |
dc.subject | Self-paced reading | en_US |
dc.subject | Second language processing | en_US |
dc.subject | Counting span | en_US |
dc.subject | Reading span | en_US |
dc.subject | Islands | en_US |
dc.subject | Working memory | en_US |
dc.title | Syntactic Constraints and Individual Differences in Native and Non-Native Processing of Wh-Movement | en_US |
dc.type | Article | en_US |
kusw.kuauthor | Johnson, Adrienne | |
kusw.kuauthor | Fiorentino, Robert | |
kusw.kuauthor | Gabriele, Alison | |
kusw.kudepartment | Neurolinguistics and Language Processing Laboratory | en_US |
kusw.kudepartment | Second Language Acquisition and Processing Laboratory | en_US |
kusw.oanotes | Per Sherpa Romeo on 11/06/2017: Author's Pre-print: green tick author can archive pre-print (ie pre-refereeing) Author's Post-print: green tick author can archive post-print (ie final draft post-refereeing) Publisher's Version/PDF: green tick author can archive publisher's version/PDF General Conditions: On open access repositories Authors retain copyright Creative Commons Attribution License Published source must be acknowledged Publisher's version/PDF may be used Set statement to accompany [This Document is Protected by copyright and was first published by Frontiers. All rights reserved. it is reproduced with permission.] Articles are placed in PubMed Central immediately on behalf of authors. | en_US |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00549 | en_US |
kusw.oaversion | Scholarly/refereed, publisher version | en_US |
kusw.oapolicy | This item meets KU Open Access policy criteria. | en_US |
dc.identifier.pmid | PMC4840386 | en_US |
dc.rights.accessrights | openAccess |
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