Actuality bias in verb learning: The case of sublexically modal transfer verbs
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Authors
Kazanina, N
Baker, S
Seddon, H
Publication Date
2020Journal Title
Linguistics
ISSN
0024-3949
Publisher
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Volume
58
Issue
5
Pages
1413-1446
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Kazanina, N., Baker, S., & Seddon, H. (2020). Actuality bias in verb learning: The case of sublexically modal transfer verbs. Linguistics, 58 (5), 1413-1446. https://doi.org/10.1515/ling-2020-0183
Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The study investigates semantic development of sublexically modal verbs of transfer,<jats:italic>throw</jats:italic>and<jats:italic>send</jats:italic>, in English-speaking children. For adults, sublexical modality of these verbs can be seen in the fact that the subevent of transfer of the object to the recipient need not take place in the actual world, e.g.<jats:italic>Mary sent/threw a book to John</jats:italic>does not entail a successful transfer of the book to John. Yet in two experiments (Experiment 1: 3–4 year-olds,<jats:italic>N</jats:italic> = 59; Experiment 2: 3–6 year olds,<jats:italic>N</jats:italic> = 120) young English-speaking children often misinterpreted<jats:italic>Mary sent a book to John</jats:italic>as entailing successful transfer. We show that such non-adultlike interpretations were present despite the children’s conceptual ability to entertain possible worlds. We propose that children may initially construct verb meanings on the basis of actual events, and later adjust them to include a modal component.</jats:p>
Sponsorship
Royal Society
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ling-2020-0183
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/288031
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