University of Rochester, Department of Linguistics and University of Rochester, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.
Cogn Sci. 2006 Mar 4;30(2):193-241. doi: 10.1207/s15516709cog0000_58.
Binding theory (e.g., Chomsky, 1981) has played a central role in both syntactic theory and models of language processing. Its constraints are designed to predict that the referential domains of pronouns and reflexives are nonoverlapping, that is, are complementary; these constraints are also thought to play a role in online reference resolution. The predictions of binding theory and its role in sentence processing were tested in four experiments that monitored participants' eye movements as they followed spoken instructions to have a doll touch a picture belonging to another doll. The instructions used pronouns and reflexives embedded in picture noun phrases (PNPs) containing possessor phrases (e.g., Pick up Ken. Have Ken touch Harry's picture of himself). Although the interpretations assigned to pronouns were generally consistent with binding theory, reflexives were frequently assigned interpretations that violated binding theory. In addition, the timing and pattern of eye movements were inconsistent with models of language processing that assume that binding theory acts as an early filter to restrict the referential domain. The interpretations assigned to reflexives in PNPs with possessors suggest that they are binding-theory-exempt logophors, a conclusion that unifies the treatment of reflexives in PNPs.
约束理论（例如，Chomsky，1981）在句法理论和语言处理模型中都发挥了核心作用。其约束条件旨在预测代词和反身代词的指代域是不重叠的，即互补的；这些约束条件也被认为在在线参考解析中发挥作用。在四项实验中检验了约束理论的预测及其在句子处理中的作用，这些实验监测了参与者在跟随口语指令时的眼球运动，这些指令要求玩偶触摸属于另一个玩偶的图片。这些指令使用代词和反身代词，嵌入包含所有格短语的图片名词短语（PNP）中（例如，拿起肯。让肯触摸哈利自己的照片）。尽管代词的解释通常与约束理论一致，但反身代词的解释经常违反约束理论。此外，眼球运动的时间和模式与假设约束理论充当早期过滤器以限制指代域的语言处理模型不一致。带有所有格短语的 PNP 中反身代词的解释表明它们是不受约束理论约束的拟声词，这一结论统一了 PNP 中反身代词的处理方式。
