The Use of Locative Expressions in Dependence of the
Spatial Relation between Target and Reference Object in Two-Dimensional
Layouts
Autor: Zimmer, Hubert D. and Speiser, Harry R. and Baus, Joerg
and Blocher, Anselm and Stopp, Eva
Herausgeber:
In two experiments we investigated the use of German locative
expressions as a function of the spatial relation between a reference
object (RO) and a to-be-located object (LO). In the experiments, a
speaker described to another participant, by locative expressions,
where LO can be found in relation to RO. LO (a blue dot) was presented
at different positions around RO (a red dot). The listener saw RO
only, and her or his task was to find LO by moving a small window over
the screen using the computer mouse. The positions of LO were
circularly arranged around RO and their angular relations were varied
in steps of 15 degrees. In Experiment 1, only the four canonical
expressions (left/right, above/below) and their single composites were
allowed. In Experi-ment 2, no constraints were made. Both experiments
yielded comparable results. The canonical expressions were used nearly
exclusively for prototypical relations, and their production latencies
were the shortest. Composites were used for all non-prototypical
relations. There was only a small spatial area next to the canonical
directions in which two different locative expressions were used, and
in these areas of competition the longest production times were
observed. Thus, canonical expressions were used in a much smaller
area around the prototypical axes than predicted by selection rules
based on applicability ratings obtained in meta-linguistic
judgments.
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