Journal

Volume 3, Issue 1 (January 31, 2002)

4 articles

• Verb Production and the Semantic Interference Effect
  by Tatiana T. Schnur, Albert Costa, & Alfonso Caramazza
  J. CS. 2002, 3(1), 1-26;
  Abstract In three experiments, we explored the semantic interference effect in verb production with the picture-word interference paradigm. Experiments 1 and 3 addressed whether there is an effect of semantically related distracters on gerundial verb production; In Experiment 2, we explored the effect in nam... [Read more].
  Abstract In three experiments, we explored the semantic interference effect in verb production with the picture-word interference paradigm. Experiments 1 and 3 addressed whether there is an effect of semantically related distracters on gerundial verb production; In Experiment 2, we explored the effect in naming verbs in sentence production and the third person singular form. The semantic interference effect was found in two of the three experiments. However, the effect was inconsistent when transitive and intransitive verbs were analyzed separately. The results are discussed in the context of models of the semantic interference effect in lexical access. [Collapse]
• Loglinear Models for the Analysis of Language Acquisition Data
  by P¡ng L¡
  J. CS. 2002, 3(1), 27-41;
  Abstract While it is common practice for researchers in psychology and other social sciences to use inferential statistical methods such as t-test, F-test, and chi-square test, it is only the beginning for linguists and investigators of language acquisition to get acquainted with the full power of inferentia... [Read more].
  Abstract While it is common practice for researchers in psychology and other social sciences to use inferential statistical methods such as t-test, F-test, and chi-square test, it is only the beginning for linguists and investigators of language acquisition to get acquainted with the full power of inferential statistics. As the linguistic science becomes more quantitative, there have been admirable efforts to introduce statistics into the field, with the publications of several statistics books specifically designed for linguists (Anshen, 1978; Butler, 1985; Hatch & Farhady, 1982; Woods, Fletcher, & Hughes, 1986; see Grotjahn, 1988, for a review). However, none of these books has discussed a very important statistical method for the analysis of categorical data, the loglinear analysis - a method that has nevertheless been applied widely in sociology and other social sciences. In this paper, I will first examine a problem that many researchers in language acquisition may have encountered, i.e., the limited power of the analysis of categorical data by the use of chi-square. I will then discuss how loglinear analysis overcomes the problem. Although descriptions about loglinear analysis are available in many statistics books, they are in general not easily accessible to language acquisition researchers because of their technicality and mathematical flavor. For this reason, I will deliberately avoid very technical descriptions here, but will instead present the rationale behind the method, the basic procedures involved in the analysis, and a real example that makes use of this method to illustrate the significance of loglinear analysis for language acquisition data. [Collapse]
• An Event-Based Semantics for Japanese Emphatic Particles
  by Akira Ishikawa
  J. CS. 2002, 3(1), 43-63;
  Abstract Inspired by Herburger (2000), I will develop an event-based semantics for Japanese emphatic particles which can address the issue of the mechanism of association with focus involving the emphatic particles. The proposed semantics makes use of and modifies Herburger's three key ideas: events as basic... [Read more].
  Abstract Inspired by Herburger (2000), I will develop an event-based semantics for Japanese emphatic particles which can address the issue of the mechanism of association with focus involving the emphatic particles. The proposed semantics makes use of and modifies Herburger's three key ideas: events as basic entities, decomposition of predicates into subatomic formulas, and separation of backgrounded and foregrounded information. I will show the resultant DRS notation can describe the meaning of the emphatic particles very explicitly in terms of the discourse referents involved in the described and compared events, and also account for the interaction of emphatic particles and semantic particles in a perspicuous way. [Collapse]
• Conceptual Foundations of a Prosodic Model for Mandarin
  by Richard S. Lavin
  J. CS. 2002, 3(1), 65-83;
  Abstract I examine various controversial aspects of Chinese prosody-tone structure, syllable structure, stress, and intonation-and stress the need to view all of these as interacting systems, aspects of a hierarchical prosodic structure. I examine various proposals at these various levels of the hierarchy an... [Read more].
  Abstract I examine various controversial aspects of Chinese prosody-tone structure, syllable structure, stress, and intonation-and stress the need to view all of these as interacting systems, aspects of a hierarchical prosodic structure. I examine various proposals at these various levels of the hierarchy and suggest which are most appropriate. Specifically, I suggest the adoption of Bao's version of syllable and tone, and a view of the foot that emphasizes its function as an organizing level in the prosodic hierarchy while discarding the "one stress per foot" principle. It is still not possible to make any definitive claims regarding an optimal model for intonation, but I examine work done by, amongst others, Kratochvil, Ladd, Shih, and Garding et al., and suggest promising directions for future work. [Collapse]