The investigation of the relationship between the parser and grammar using "illusion of grammaticality"

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19999
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0102:Literature, linguistics, and related fields
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan University
• Principal Investigator: Minemi Itsuki 立命館大学, スポーツ健康科学部, 講師 (90906968)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 心理言語学 / 文理解 / 日本語 / wh句認可 / 文法的錯覚 / 文法性の錯覚 / 錯覚的認可 / 時間制限付き容認性判断

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study explored the relationship between the parser and grammar by investigating cognitive mechanisms underlying an illusion of grammaticality in Japanese wh-sentences. The results of speeded acceptability judgments revealed that wh-licensing in Japanese is subject to illusions of grammaticality. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that illusory licensing of Japanese wh-phrases occurs even in sentences without a potential wh-licensor and when imposing some time restrictions on participants by manipulating the method of stimuli presentations and duration of judgment time. These results cannot predicted by exsisting hypotheses, and it calls for further investigations.

Free Research Field

心理言語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

文法性の錯覚がどのようなメカニズムによって生じるのかについては議論が続いているが，本研究課題の成果は，その生起条件として要素間での部分的形態情報の一致や時間的制約，非文法性等が重要な役割を担っている可能性を示唆している。この成果は，ヒトの文解析器と文法との関係性の解明という文理解研究における主要な研究命題に対して理論的貢献を果たすものであると考えられる。