The role of cognitive control and referential complexity on adults' choice of referring expressions: Testing and expanding the referential complexity scale

Madeleine Long*, Hannah Rohde, Michelle Oraa Ali, Paula Rubio-Fernandez

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

This study aims to advance our understanding of the nature and source(s) of individual differences in pragmatic language behaviour over the adult lifespan. Across four story continuation experiments we probed adults’ (N=496 participants, ages 18-82) choice of referential forms (i.e., names vs pronouns to refer to the main character). Our manipulations were based on Fossard et al.’s (2018) scale of referential complexity which varies according to the visual properties of the scene: low complexity (1 character), intermediate complexity (2 characters of different genders) and high complexity (2 characters of the same gender). Since pronouns signal topic continuity (i.e., that the discourse will continue to be about the same referent), the use of pronouns is expected to decrease as referential complexity increases. The choice of names vs. pronouns therefore provides insight into participants’ perception of the topicality of a referent, and whether that varies by age and cognitive capacity. In Exp 1, we used the scale to test the association between referential choice, ageing, and cognition, identifying a link between older adults’ switching skills and optimal referential choice. In Exps 2-4 we tested novel manipulations that could impact the scale and found both the TIMING of a competitor referent’s presence and EMPHASIS placed on competitors modulated referential choice, leading us to refine the scale for future use. Collectively, Exps 1-4 highlight what type of contextual information is prioritised at different ages, revealing older adults’ preserved sensitivity to (visual) scene complexity but reduced sensitivity to linguistic prominence cues, compared to younger adults.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
Early online date10 Aug 2023
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 10 Aug 2023

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • language production
  • reference
  • ageing
  • attention switching

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The role of cognitive control and referential complexity on adults' choice of referring expressions: Testing and expanding the referential complexity scale'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this