TY - JOUR
T1 - Cumulative effects of syntactic experience in a between- and a within-language context
T2 - Evidence for implicit learning
AU - Hwang, Heeju
AU - Shin, Jeong Ah
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2019/12
Y1 - 2019/12
N2 - Implicit learning models suggest that speakers adapt syntactic knowledge in response to prior syntactic experience and such adaptation is sensitive to surface structures (word order) (e.g., Chang, Dell, & Bock, 2006; Reitter, Keller, & Moore, 2011). To determine the scope of syntactic processing to which an implicit learning mechanism is applicable and its sensitivity to surface structures, we investigated cumulative priming and inverse frequency effects across different constructions in a between- language context of Chinese and English (Experiment 1) and in a within- language context of Chinese (Experiment 2). Our results showed that Chinese speakers integrated cumulative experience in Chinese into production of not only Chinese but also of English and that such adaptation was not sensitive to surface word order at least in a between- language context. These findings suggest that an implicit learning mechanism is a universal, language-unspecific processing mechanism that is not sensitive to surface syntactic structures. We discuss these findings in terms of theories of structural priming and bilingual syntactic processing and consider the need for a model that accommodates our findings.
AB - Implicit learning models suggest that speakers adapt syntactic knowledge in response to prior syntactic experience and such adaptation is sensitive to surface structures (word order) (e.g., Chang, Dell, & Bock, 2006; Reitter, Keller, & Moore, 2011). To determine the scope of syntactic processing to which an implicit learning mechanism is applicable and its sensitivity to surface structures, we investigated cumulative priming and inverse frequency effects across different constructions in a between- language context of Chinese and English (Experiment 1) and in a within- language context of Chinese (Experiment 2). Our results showed that Chinese speakers integrated cumulative experience in Chinese into production of not only Chinese but also of English and that such adaptation was not sensitive to surface word order at least in a between- language context. These findings suggest that an implicit learning mechanism is a universal, language-unspecific processing mechanism that is not sensitive to surface syntactic structures. We discuss these findings in terms of theories of structural priming and bilingual syntactic processing and consider the need for a model that accommodates our findings.
KW - Between-language structural priming
KW - Chinese
KW - English
KW - Implicit learning
KW - Structural priming
KW - Within-language structural priming
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85072302552&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jml.2019.104054
DO - 10.1016/j.jml.2019.104054
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85072302552
SN - 0749-596X
VL - 109
JO - Journal of Memory and Language
JF - Journal of Memory and Language
M1 - 104054
ER -