Conflicting Evidence for Mental Schemas in Language Production and Processing

Abstract

AbstractThis study examines the influence of mental schemas on language production and processing in German morphology. For the purposes of this study, mental schemas are defined as an association between a certain form and a function. It is argued that the so-called weak declension class of German masculine nouns is constructed around a mental schema: Prototypically, members of this class are polysyllabic nouns that are stressed on the penultimate syllable, end with a schwa, and refer to human beings (e.g.,Matróse‘sailor’). There is strong empirical evidence that this schema influences language production. However, language processing has not been studied so far. The study fills this gap using a self-paced reading task with pseudo-nouns to test the influence of mental schemas on reading times. While the study validates the effect of schemas on language production, no influence on language processing could be found.