Understanding linguistic time sequence and simultaneity: A literature review and some new data

Abstract

This study investigates the difficulty order in (1) sequence comprehension versus simultaneity comprehension and production, and (2) contribution of semantics, syntax, order of mention, and cognitive (Raven's CPM) and linguistic factors (PPVT) in understanding sequence and simultaneity constructions in Greek, which display similar properties to English sequence and simultaneity constructions. In general, results with kindergartners, first-, second-, and sixth-graders, and graduate school students supported the findings of psycholinguists who claimed that Piaget has specified difficulty order of simultaneity over succession. Performance on simultaneity production tasks was lower then performance on sequence. Performance on simultaneity production tasks was better than performance on simultaneity comprehension and consistently lower than performance on sequence. No consistent order of difficulty between the different construction types of sequence and simultaneity was found. Semantics (arbitrary vs. logical sequences) seems to affect performance, as a few studies have indicated. Unlike most previous findings, an order of mention strategy influences performance when the syntax (transformationally simple vs. complex) and semantics effect is partialed out. Syntax (when not confounded with the two previous variables) does not affect performance. Cognitive (Raven's CPM) and linguistic (PPVT) factors contributed approximately equal amounts of variance to performance on sequence and simultaneity by children in kindergarten and first and second grades.