A study is reported in which generic assertions, based on inductive and deductive evidence providing varying degrees of support, were presented to subjects for acceptance or rejection. The results show that generalization power (probability of generic agreement) is influenced primarily by inherent verb characteristics. (Author/RM)

Assumptions about comprehension of utterances are challenged in two experiments using as an example the verb phrase "to do a Richard Nixon on a tape" (i.e., erase it). It is argued that creating meanings, as with this phrase, works differently from selecting senses for utterances and that many require a mixture of the two. (MSE)

Based on results reported in a doctoral dissertation completed at Yale University. (VM)

A theory of comprehension in verification tasks is developed from a general conception of language comprehension. Models are developed for a task involving transfer verbs "borrow" and "loan" and the possession verb "have." Models and theoretical framework are superior in some respects to constituent comparison and conversion models. (CHK)

Based in part on an M.A. thesis presented to the University of Illinois by Mr. Harris; deixis refers to those words which have a demonstrative or pointing function, e.g., the pronouns this'' or that''. (DD)

A variable time delay naming latency paradigm was used to investigate the processing of noun-verb lexical ambiguities (e.g., "watch") in syntactic contexts that biased either the noun or the verb reading. Results support a two-stage model in which all reading of ambiguous words are initially accessed, followed by suppression of…

Research supported in part by a United States Public Health Service Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. (VM)

This study demonstrates that a property of verbs, implicit causality, is important in determining coreference of potentially ambiguous anaphoric pronouns in a timed comprehension task. Verbs were classified according to bias toward a noun phrase; pairs of sentences were constructed for each. Response time was faster for congruent sentences. (CHK)

Research is reported which explores the viability of theories of sentence memory in describing adjective memory. (Author/RM)

Reports on experiments examining the semantic organization of concrete nouns and verbs and its development in childhood. Differences in semantic organization are said to be a clue to age-related changes in performance with verbs. (AM)