Reanalysis

Definition

Reanalysis refers to the cognitive process where individuals reinterpret a phrase or sentence after initially misinterpreting its structure or meaning. This concept is closely tied to how we understand language, particularly in situations where syntactic ambiguity arises, leading to garden path sentences that cause temporary confusion before the correct interpretation is realized.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Reanalysis occurs when a person realizes that their initial interpretation of a sentence was incorrect and must revise their understanding based on new information.
2. This cognitive process can be triggered by syntactic ambiguity, where multiple structures could fit the same set of words.
3. Garden path sentences are a prime example of where reanalysis is necessary; they are designed to mislead the reader or listener initially.
4. The ease or difficulty of reanalysis often depends on the complexity of the sentence structure and the context in which it is presented.
5. Research into reanalysis helps linguists understand how people process language in real time, revealing insights about cognitive load and comprehension strategies.

Review Questions

• How does reanalysis play a role in our understanding of syntactic ambiguity?
  • Reanalysis is crucial in understanding syntactic ambiguity because it illustrates how individuals must adapt their comprehension when faced with multiple interpretations of a sentence. When encountering ambiguous structures, listeners might initially make an incorrect assumption about the intended meaning. Through reanalysis, they reevaluate their understanding and adjust their interpretation based on further linguistic clues, thereby revealing the dynamic nature of language processing.
• Discuss the relationship between garden path sentences and the process of reanalysis.
  • Garden path sentences are designed specifically to mislead readers or listeners into adopting an incorrect interpretation upon first encounter. This initial misunderstanding necessitates reanalysis as individuals work to clarify the true meaning of the sentence. The process involves retracing their steps and adjusting their mental parsing of the sentence, demonstrating how our cognitive systems navigate complexities in language and highlighting the challenges posed by syntactic ambiguity.
• Evaluate how research on reanalysis contributes to our understanding of language processing and cognitive load during sentence comprehension.
  • Research on reanalysis provides valuable insights into language processing by highlighting how people adapt their understanding of sentences when faced with ambiguity. It reveals that reanalysis requires additional cognitive resources, increasing cognitive load as individuals must reevaluate their initial interpretations. Understanding this phenomenon helps researchers identify how different sentence structures affect comprehension speed and accuracy, shedding light on the broader implications for cognitive psychology and linguistics in terms of real-time language understanding.

Related terms

Syntactic Ambiguity: A situation in which a sentence can be understood in more than one way due to its structure, often leading to different interpretations.

Garden Path Sentences: Sentences that lead readers or listeners to initially interpret them incorrectly, forcing them to reanalyze the sentence to arrive at the intended meaning.

Parsing: The process of breaking down a sentence into its grammatical components to understand its structure and meaning.