Retention of the structure underlying sentences

Authors: Cleary, Anne; Langley, Moses

Source: Language and Cognitive Processes, Volume 22, Number 4, June 2007 , pp. 614-628(15)

Publisher: Psychology Press, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

The present study investigated memory retention of the structural aspects of sentences. Participants studied five sets of eight syntactically identical but nonsensical strings of words (e.g., 'BEAUTIFUL TRANSPORTATION SHEDS TEMPORARY PLANTS' and 'HARSH CLOTHING REQUIRES PORTABLE PENS'). Participants were subsequently presented with a recognition test containing studied strings, non-studied strings that adhered to the same syntactical structure as a studied set of strings (critical lures), and non-studied strings that adhered to a non-studied syntactical structure (new lures). Participants' recognition confidence ratings were higher for critical than for new lures, but only when the word strings used in the experiment adhered to a legal grammatical structure (e.g., 'BEAUTIFUL TRANSPORTATION SHEDS TEMPORARY PLANTS'). No such confidence ratings effect was found between critical and new lures that corresponded to ungrammatical sets (e.g., 'SOUR A KICK CLEAN BALLOON HARD' and 'FLIMSY AT THROW HANG TREE CHEAP').

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01690960601049438

Affiliations: 1: Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, IA, USA

Publication date: 2007-06-01

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