CHAPTER 11: LANGUAGE another word with a similar meaning—for example,
when presenting the word ant before the word bug
Anaphoric inference An inference that connects an causes a person to respond faster to the word bug
object or person in one sentence to an object or person than if ant had not preceded it. (11)
in another sentence. See also Causal inference;
Instrument inference. (11) Lexicon A person’s knowledge of what words mean,
how they sound, and how they are used in relation to
Causal inference An inference that results in the other words. (11)
conclusion that the events described in one clause or
sentence were caused by events that occurred in a Morpheme The smallest unit of language that has a
previous clause or sentence. See also Anaphoric definable meaning or a grammatical function. For
inference; Instrument inference. (11) example, truck consists of a number of phonemes but
only one morpheme, because none of the components
Coherence The representation of a text or story in a that create the word truck means anything. (11)
reader’s mind so that information in one part of the text
or story is related to information in another part. (11) Parsing The mental grouping of words in a sentence
into phrases. The way a sentence is parsed determines
Garden path sentence A sentence in which the its meaning. (11)
meaning that seems to be implied at the beginning of
the sentence turns out to be incorrect, based on Phoneme The shortest segment of speech that, if
information that is presented later in the sentence. (11) changed, changes the meaning of a word. (11)
Given–new contract In a conversation, a speaker Phonemic restoration effect When a phoneme in a
should construct sentences so that they contain both word is heard even though it is obscured by a noise,
given information (information that the listener already such as a cough. This typically occurs when the word
knows) and new information (information that the is part of a sentence. (11)
listener is hearing for the first time). (11)
Psycholinguistics The field concerned with the
Inference The process by which readers create psychological study of language. (11)
information that is not explicitly stated in the text. (11)
Sapir-Whorf hypothesis The idea that the nature of
Instrument inference An inference about tools or language in a particular culture can affect the way
methods that occurs while reading text or listening to people in that culture think. (11)
speech. See also Anaphoric inference; Causal
inference. (11) Semantics The meanings of words and sentences.
Distinguished from Syntax. (11)
Interactionist approach to parsing The approach to
parsing that takes into account all information—both Situation model A mental representation of what a text
semantic and syntactic—to determine parsing as a is about. (11)
person reads a sentence. This approach assigns more
weight to semantics than does the syntax-first Speech segmentation The process of perceiving
approach to parsing. (11) individual words within the continuous flow of the
speech signal. (3, 11)
Language A system of communication through which
we code and express our feelings, thoughts, ideas, and Syntactic priming Hearing a statement with a
experiences. (11) particular syntactic construction increases the chances
that a statement that follows will be produced with the
Late closure In parsing, when a person encounters a same construction. (11)
new word, the parser assumes that this word is part of
the current phrase. (11) Syntax The rules for combining words into sentences.
Distinguished from Semantics. (11)
Lexical ambiguity When a word can have more than
one meaning. For example, bug can mean an insect, a Syntax-first approach to parsing The approach to
listening device, or to annoy. (11) parsing that emphasizes the role of syntax. See also
Interactionist approach to parsing. (11)
Lexical decision task A procedure in which a person
is asked to decide as quickly as possible whether a Temporary ambiguity A situation in which the meaning
particular stimulus is a word or a nonword. (9, 11) of a sentence, based on its initial words, is ambiguous
because a number of meanings are possible,
Lexical priming Priming that involves the meaning of depending on how the sentence unfolds. “Cast iron
words. Typically occurs when a word is followed by
when presenting the word ant before the word bug
Anaphoric inference An inference that connects an causes a person to respond faster to the word bug
object or person in one sentence to an object or person than if ant had not preceded it. (11)
in another sentence. See also Causal inference;
Instrument inference. (11) Lexicon A person’s knowledge of what words mean,
how they sound, and how they are used in relation to
Causal inference An inference that results in the other words. (11)
conclusion that the events described in one clause or
sentence were caused by events that occurred in a Morpheme The smallest unit of language that has a
previous clause or sentence. See also Anaphoric definable meaning or a grammatical function. For
inference; Instrument inference. (11) example, truck consists of a number of phonemes but
only one morpheme, because none of the components
Coherence The representation of a text or story in a that create the word truck means anything. (11)
reader’s mind so that information in one part of the text
or story is related to information in another part. (11) Parsing The mental grouping of words in a sentence
into phrases. The way a sentence is parsed determines
Garden path sentence A sentence in which the its meaning. (11)
meaning that seems to be implied at the beginning of
the sentence turns out to be incorrect, based on Phoneme The shortest segment of speech that, if
information that is presented later in the sentence. (11) changed, changes the meaning of a word. (11)
Given–new contract In a conversation, a speaker Phonemic restoration effect When a phoneme in a
should construct sentences so that they contain both word is heard even though it is obscured by a noise,
given information (information that the listener already such as a cough. This typically occurs when the word
knows) and new information (information that the is part of a sentence. (11)
listener is hearing for the first time). (11)
Psycholinguistics The field concerned with the
Inference The process by which readers create psychological study of language. (11)
information that is not explicitly stated in the text. (11)
Sapir-Whorf hypothesis The idea that the nature of
Instrument inference An inference about tools or language in a particular culture can affect the way
methods that occurs while reading text or listening to people in that culture think. (11)
speech. See also Anaphoric inference; Causal
inference. (11) Semantics The meanings of words and sentences.
Distinguished from Syntax. (11)
Interactionist approach to parsing The approach to
parsing that takes into account all information—both Situation model A mental representation of what a text
semantic and syntactic—to determine parsing as a is about. (11)
person reads a sentence. This approach assigns more
weight to semantics than does the syntax-first Speech segmentation The process of perceiving
approach to parsing. (11) individual words within the continuous flow of the
speech signal. (3, 11)
Language A system of communication through which
we code and express our feelings, thoughts, ideas, and Syntactic priming Hearing a statement with a
experiences. (11) particular syntactic construction increases the chances
that a statement that follows will be produced with the
Late closure In parsing, when a person encounters a same construction. (11)
new word, the parser assumes that this word is part of
the current phrase. (11) Syntax The rules for combining words into sentences.
Distinguished from Semantics. (11)
Lexical ambiguity When a word can have more than
one meaning. For example, bug can mean an insect, a Syntax-first approach to parsing The approach to
listening device, or to annoy. (11) parsing that emphasizes the role of syntax. See also
Interactionist approach to parsing. (11)
Lexical decision task A procedure in which a person
is asked to decide as quickly as possible whether a Temporary ambiguity A situation in which the meaning
particular stimulus is a word or a nonword. (9, 11) of a sentence, based on its initial words, is ambiguous
because a number of meanings are possible,
Lexical priming Priming that involves the meaning of depending on how the sentence unfolds. “Cast iron
words. Typically occurs when a word is followed by
