Laurinavichyute, A. 1, 2 , Simdianova, A. 1 & Vasishth, S. 2
1 National Research University Higher School of Economics
2 University of Potsdam
Agreement attraction asymmetry in number and gender was attributed to markedness asymmetry between their values: plural and feminine are more marked then singular and masculine, hence they are stronger attractors. This account predicts that the more marked values of person will be stronger attractors than the less marked. We tested these predictions in two production experiments in Russian, contrasting 1st vs. 2nd, and 2nd vs. 3rd persons.
Here is an example item (N=32 in each experiment) for the experiment contrasting 1st and 2nd person:
I just as you next year in this school study-inf [will-1? will-2?]
You just as I next year in this school study-inf [will-1? will-2?]
Up to 'will' words were presented non-cumulatively for 300 ms each, then participants chose a verb that would provide a correct continuation.
In the experiment contrasting 1st and 2nd person (N=79) accuracies did not differ, but RTs were slower in the condition with the 1st person subject (t=2.03).
In the experiment contrasting 2nd and 3rd person (N=121) accuracies were lower (z=-2.98, p=0.002) and RTs higher (t=2.55) in the condition with the 3rd person subject.
Our preliminary results support the markedness explanation for the agreement attraction asymmetry in production.