Anticipating at a Distance

Classifier–Noun Agreement Processing in Japanese by Native Speakers and Chinese JFL Learners

Dados Bibliográficos

ID19276729
AutoresWeiyu Wang (0009-0008-2505-0967, Shanghai University), Jingyi Zhang (0000-0002-3147-8838, Setsunan University), Ying Su (0000-0002-8466-0043, Shanghai University), Katsuo Tamaoka (0000-0003-1192-0358, Shanghai University, autor correspondente)
Ano2026
Data de publicação2026-05-15
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJapanese Psychological Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0021-5368 • E-ISSN: 1468-5884
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jpr.70035
OpenAlexW7161286017
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas42

This study examined how native Japanese speakers and Chinese learners of Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) process classifier–noun agreement involving short‐ and long‐distance dependencies. Using a maze task, participants read sentences in which classifiers agree locally either with the subject noun or with a distant object noun. Native speakers showed faster reaction times for short‐distance dependencies and a significant slowdown at the verb region under long‐distance conditions, but no difference at the head noun, indicating anticipatory processing using verb cues. In contrast, Chinese JFL learners showed slower processing at both the classifier and following noun regions, but faster responses at the head noun in the long‐distance condition. This suggests a bottom‐up, non‐predictive strategy, with resolution occurring only when the head noun is encountered. These findings highlight a key difference in real‐time sentence processing: Native speakers engage in predictive integration, while JFL learners rely more on reactive parsing

Agreement · First language · Head (geology) · Noun · Sentence · Sentence processing · Verb · Language Development and Disorders · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Second Language Acquisition and Learning