TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hoernig, Robin
A1  - Oberauer, Klaus
A1  - Weidenfeld, Andrea
T1  - Between reasoning
JF  - The quarterly journal of experimental psychology
N2  - In two experiments we investigated three-term reasoning with spatial relational assertions using the preposition between as compared to projective prepositions (such as to the left of). For each kind of assertion we distinguish the referent expression (i.e., the grammatical subject) from the relatum expression (i.e., the internal argument of the preposition; e.g., [The hedgehog](referent)_(expression) is to the left of [the frog](relatum)_(expression); [the snake](referent)_(expression) is between [the donkey and the deer](relatum)_(expression)). Previous research has shown that integrating premises with projective prepositions is easier (a) when the relatum expression of the second premise denotes an element already given by the first premise (relatum = given), and (b) when the term denoting a given element precedes the term denoting a new element (given - new). Experiment 1 extended this finding to second premises with the preposition between. In Experiment 2, between figured in the first premise. In this case, participants built an initial preferred model already from the first premise, although such a premise is indeterminate with respect to the array that it describes. Since there is no need left for integrating the second premise, this premise is instead used to verify the initial model and to modify it when necessary. A further investigation of conclusion evaluation times showed that conclusions were evaluated faster when they first mentioned the element that was included most recently into the mental model of the premises. The use of premises with between permitted the separation of recency of model inclusion from recency of appearance of an element in a premise.
Y1  - 2006
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1080/17470210500416151
SN  - 1747-0218
VL  - 59
IS  - 10
SP  - 1805
EP  - 1825
PB  - SAGE Publishing
CY  - Thousand Oaks, CA
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Höhle, Barbara
A1  - Hoernig, Robin
A1  - Weskott, Thomas
A1  - Knauf, Selene
A1  - Krueger, Agnes
T1  - Effects of focus and definiteness on children's word order: evidence from German five-year-olds' reproductions of double object constructions
JF  - Journal of child language
N2  - Two experiments tested how faithfully German children aged 4; 5 to 5; 6 reproduce ditransitive sentences that are unmarked or marked with respect to word order and focus (Exp1) or definiteness (Exp2). Adopting an optimality theory (OT) approach, it is assumed that in the German adult grammar word order is ranked lower than focus and definiteness. Faithfulness of children's reproductions decreased as markedness of inputs increased; unmarked structures were reproduced most faithfully and unfaithful outputs had most often an unmarked form. Consistent with the OT proposal, children were more tolerant against inputs marked for word order than for focus; in conflict with the proposal, children were less tolerant against inputs marked for word order than for definiteness. Our results suggest that the linearization of objects in German double object constructions is affected by focus and definiteness, but that prosodic principles may have an impact on the position of a focused constituent.
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000913000196
SN  - 0305-0009
SN  - 1469-7602
VL  - 41
IS  - 4
SP  - 780
EP  - 810
PB  - Cambridge Univ. Press
CY  - New York
ER  -