Constructions in Cognitive Contexts: Why Individuals Matter in Linguistic Relativity Research

by Franziska Günther

Overview

In what ways are language, cognition and perception interrelated? Do they influence each other? This book casts a fresh light on these questions by putting individual speakers’ cognitive contexts, i.e. their usage-preferences and entrenched patterns of linguistic knowledge, into the focus of investigation.

It presents findings from original experimental research on spatial language use which indicate that these individual-specific factors indeed play a central role in determining whether or not differences in the current and/or habitual linguistic behaviour of speakers of German and English are systematically correlated with differences in non-linguistic behaviour (visual attention allocation to and memory for spatial referent scenes).

These findings form the basis of a new, speaker-focused usage-based model of linguistic relativity, which defines language-perception/cognition effects as a phenomenon which primarily occurs within individual speakers rather than between speakers or speech communities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783110459784
Publisher:	De Gruyter
Publication date:	11/07/2016
Series:	Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs [TiLSM] , #299
Pages:	514
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.06(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Franziska Günther, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vii

Last of figures xiii

List of tables xvii

Abbreviations xix

1 Constructions in cognitive contexts 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Synopsis 3

2 Setting the theoretical scene 6

2.1 Linguistic relativity versus (?) usage-based linguistics 6

2.1.1 Linguistic relativity 6

2.1.2 Usage-based cognitive linguistics 10

2.2 Linguistic construal, perceptual attention and the Degrees of Object-focusedness Scale 12

2.3 Construal types as analytical tools 17

2.3.1 Windowing of Attention 18

2.3.2 Weighting of Attention 22

3 Construing spatial scenes in German and English 27

3.1 Spatial language and spatial referent scenes 27

3.1.1 Functions of spatial language 27

3.1.2 Modelling static spatial scenes for linguistic reference 29

3.2 Search Spaces and static spatial language in German and English 34

3.2.1 Search Spaces I: Topological spaces 38

3.2.2 Search Spaces II: Dimensional spaces 40

3.3 Spatial constructions and degrees of object-focusedness construal 48

3.3.1 Transitive non-nominal terms and constructions 50

3.3.2 Nominal terms and constructions 52

3.3.3 Intransitive non-nominal terms and constructions 64

3.3.4 Spatial constructions as [form-degrees of object-focusedness construal meaning]-associations: An overview and analytical tool 76

4 Attention, 'caption' and language: Basic considerations 83

4.1 Construal and cognition 83

4.2 Attention and selection 84

4.3 Perception and cognition, or 'ception'? 86

4.4 Embodied cognition and language 89

4.4.1 From specific experiences to perceptual symbols 91

4.4.2 Perceptual symbols, language and language-cognition relations 99

5 Constructions as [form-construal meaning]-associations 106

5.1 Language as a dynamic network of associations 110

5.2 [Form-construal meaning]-associations: Their formation and establishment 112

5.2.1 Building [form-construal meaning]-associations 113

5.2.2 Entrenching [form-construal meaning]-associations 118

5.3 Two competing theories of construal meaning: Schematicity Theory and Differentiality Theory 134

5.4 Construal theory and linguistic relativity 138

5.4.1 Conventionalizing [form-construal meaning]-associations 139

5.4.2 Micro-conventionalization of construal meanings 144

6 Spatial language, cognition and perception: Methods and hypotheses 155

6.1 Construal and language-perception/cognition relations: Methodological considerations 155

6.2 Linguistic and non-linguistic forms of interaction with spatial scenes: Hypotheses 157

7 Experiment 1 - linguistic interaction with spatial scenes: Patterns of language- and speaker-specific variation 162

7.1 German and English spatial language in use I: Previous research 163

7.2 German and English spatial language in use II: A director-matcher language game experiment 167

7.2.1 Method and procedure 167

7.2.2 Data 180

7.2.3 Analytical dimensions and parameters 190

7.2.4 Analysis 1A: Spatial Construction Types (SCTs) 193

7.2.5 Analysis IB: Object-focusedness Degree Values (ODVs) and frequency distributions of Intermediate Level and Specific Level SCTs 244

7.2.6 Summary and discussion 271

8 Experiment 2 - linguistic and non-linguistic interaction with spatial scenes: The role of cognitive contexts 277

8.1 Methodological and theoretical inspirations from previous research 281

8.2 Hypotheses and general design features 288

8.3 Describing, viewing and remembering spatial scenes: A visual world eye-tracking experiment 290

8.3.1 Pre-test and participant recruitment 291

8.3.2 Main test: Method and procedure 296

8.3.3 Data, analytical categories and steps of analysis 307

8.3.4 Analysis 2A: Variable Speakers/contrast-inducing cognitive contexts 321

8.3.5 Analysis 2B: Consistent Speakers/preference-defined cognitive contexts 353

8.3.6 Summary and discussion (Analyses 2A and 2B) 386

8.4 Analysis 2C: Cognitive context as a determinant of processing strategies? Findings from a post hoc analysis 395

8.4.1 Analysis 2C-1: Patterns of visual attention allocation I (LO-RO Ratio Values) 396

8.4.2 Analysis 2C-2: Patterns of visual attention allocation II (LO-RO Abs Values) 400

8.5 Summary and discussion: Main and post hoc findings (Analyses 2A, 2B and 2C) 404

9 Conclusion: Constructions, cognition, cognitive contexts and beyond 409

9.1 Summary of findings 409

9.2 Limitations and perspectives for future research 412

9.3 Final conclusions 415

References 419

Appendix 459

Author index 473

Topic index 481