GARNHAM_Journal_of_Memory_and_Language_MAY_2020_author_copy.pdf (512.67 kB)
Anticipating causes and consequences
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 07:21 authored by Alan GarnhamAlan Garnham, Scarlett Child, Sam HuttonTwo visual world eye-tracking experiments investigated anticipatory looks to implicit causes and implicit consequences in two clause sentences with mental state verbs (Stimulus-Experiencer and Experiencer-Stimulus) in the first main clause, and an explicit cause or consequence in the second. The first experiment showed that, just as when all continuations are causes, people look early at the implicit cause, when all continuations are consequences they look early at the implicit consequence, for the same verbs. When causes and consequences are intermixed, people direct their looks at the cause or consequence on a trial-by-trial basis depending on the connective (“because” or “and so”). Numerically, causes were favored overall, even when all the endings were consequences, but the effect was only significant at the end of the sentences in Experiment 2. The results are discussed in terms of rapid deployment of causal and consequential information implicit in mental state verbs, and in relation to conflicting accounts of why causes or consequences might generally be favored.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Journal of Memory and LanguageISSN
0749-596XPublisher
ElsevierExternal DOI
Volume
114Article number
a104130Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2020-06-25First Open Access (FOA) Date
2021-07-01First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2020-06-24Usage metrics
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