The Use of Locative Expressions in Dependence of the Spatial Relation Between Target and Reference Object in Two-Dimensional Layouts

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 Experiment 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. * This research was supported by a grant from the German Research Foundation in the Special Research Division SFB 378 ‘Resource-Adaptive Cognitive Processes’.