Two experiments examined the restriction of referential domains during unscripted conversation by analyzing the modification and on-line interpretation of referring expressions. Experiment 1 demonstrated that from the earliest moments of processing, addressees interpreted referring expressions with respect to referential domains constrained by the conversation. Analysis of eye movements during ...

Past studies show that a referential context is important for successful word learning. Still in question, however, is the success of word learning in the absence of a referential context. In this study 2-year-olds were presented with novel words in the absence of a speaker and therefore in the absence of a referential context. Findings revealed that word learning was successful across the expe...

In Jackendoff’s Conceptual Semantics, reference to objects, situations, places, directions, times, manners, and measures is supported, but reference is limited to instances of these conceptual categories. This paper proposes an extension of Jackendoff’s referential types along an orthogonal dimension of reference which is cognitively motivated in suggesting the possibility of referring to types...

Research into human communication has been grouped under two traditions: referential and sociolinguistic. The study of a communication behavior simultaneously from both paradigms appears to be absent. Basically, this paper analyzes the use of private and social speech, through both a referential task (Word Pairs) and a naturalistic dyadic setting (Lego-set) administered to a sample of 64 childr...

We examined how listeners circumscribe referential domains for referring expressions by monitoring participant’s eye movements as they engaged in a referential communication task with another naïve participant.