The inference-driven model of quantifier focus
Previous research (e.g. Moxey & Sanford, 1987) has demonstrated that positively and negatively quantified statements place attentional focus upon different subsets of a logical superset and are, thus, associated with different patterns of subsequent anaphoric reference. Typically, positive quantifiers (e.g. many (x)) are associated with anaphoric reference to the subset of entities for whom the sentence predicate is true (the reference set or refset) while negative quantifiers (e.g. not many (x)) are associated with reference to the subset for whom the predicate is false (the complement set or compset). The primary objective of this thesis is to provide an empirical evaluation of a model (the Inference Model) which has been advanced to explain the occurrence of complement set reference. The experiments reported in this thesis address three central issues associated with the Inference Model: the relationship between denial and complement set reference; the impact of connective on complement set reference; and, the time course over which complement set focus is established. The empirical chapters contained in Section B present the results from four off-line sentence completion studies. Experiments 1 and 2 investigated
Dawydiak, Eugene Jurij
Natural language; Positive; Negative; Anaphoric
The inference-driven model of quantifier focus. Previous research (e.g. Moxey & Sanford, 1987) has demonstrated that positively and negatively quantified statements place attentional focus upon different subsets of a logical superset and are, thus, associated with different patterns of subsequent anaphoric reference. Typically, positive quantifiers (e.g. many (x)) are associated with anaphoric reference to the subset of entities for whom the sentence predicate is true (the reference set or refset) while negative quantifiers (e.g. not many (x)) are associated with reference to the subset for whom the predicate is false (the complement set or compset). The primary objective of this thesis is to provide an empirical evaluation of a model (the Inference Model) which has been advanced to explain the occurrence of complement set reference. The experiments reported in this thesis address three central issues associated with the Inference Model: the relationship between denial and complement set reference; the impact of connective on complement set reference; and, the time course over which complement set focus is established. The empirical chapters contained in Section B present the results from four off-line sentence completion studies. Experiments 1 and 2 investigated
inference driven model quantifier focus previous demonstrate positively negatively quantified statement place attentional focus_upon different subset logical thus associate different_pattern subsequent anaphoric reference typically positive quantifier many associate anaphoric reference subset entity sentence predicate true reference set negative quantifier many associate reference subset predicate false complement set primary_objective provide_empirical evaluation model inference model advance explain occurrence complement set reference report address_three central_issue associate inference model relationship denial complement set reference impact connective complement set reference time_course complement set focus establish empirical contain section present off line sentence completion study investigate