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Electrophysiological Evidence for Sentence Comprehension - Wings

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probable option. This explains why the parser takes the most preferable option as its<br />

choice <strong>for</strong> sentence interpretation in case of ambiguity. This also means that sometimes<br />

the less preferred options will be chosen instead.<br />

Serial and parallel processing models make different predictions about ambiguities. If the<br />

parser computes only one interpretation and if somehow takes the correct one, than there<br />

would be no increase of reaction time or reading time in an experimental situation. If the<br />

reaction time or reading time increased in the same situation, this meant that the parser<br />

computed more than one interpretation of the sentence. Significant differences in reaction<br />

times or reading times between sentences (3) and (4) indicates repair or reinterpretation<br />

processes (although ranking mechanisms in parallel processing models account <strong>for</strong> such<br />

differences, as well, see <strong>for</strong> example, Boland, 1997).<br />

Deep vs. shallow models. Processing models differ in the amount of syntactic in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

they claim is available <strong>for</strong> processing as the listener hears the sentence. Full sentence<br />

parsers provide a full syntactic tree as an output while shallow parsers provide only the<br />

major constituents of the sentence. For example given the sentence<br />

(6) The bank has powerful means and instruments <strong>for</strong> reaching its financial<br />

goals.<br />

a full sentence parser would give a complete tree-structure with all the dependencies on<br />

place. It would make clear whether the adjective powerful modifies the phrase means and<br />

instruments and not only means (i.e. whether the sentence structure includes [powerful<br />

[means and instruments]] or [[powerful means] and [instruments]]). Shallow parsers do<br />

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