Dataset Information

Investigating Variation in Island Effects: A Case Study of Norwegian Wh-Extraction.

ABSTRACT: We present a series of large-scale formal acceptability judgment studies that explored Norwegian island phenomena in order to follow up on previous observations that speakers of Mainland Scandinavian languages like Norwegian accept violations of certain island constraints that are unacceptable in most languages cross-linguistically. We tested the acceptability of wh-extraction from five island types: whether-, complex NP, subject, adjunct, and relative clause (RC) islands. We found clear evidence of subject and adjunct island effects on wh-extraction. We failed to find evidence that Norwegians accept wh-extraction out of complex NPs and RCs. Our participants judged wh-extraction from complex NPs and RCs to be just as unacceptable as subject and adjunct island violations. The pattern of effects in Norwegian paralleled island effects that recent experimental work has documented in other languages like English and Italian (Sprouse et al. 2012; Sprouse et al. 2016). Norwegian judgments consistently differed from prior findings for one island type: whether-islands. Our results reveal that Norwegians exhibit significant inter-individual variation in their sensitivity to whether-island effects, with many participants exhibiting no sensitivity to whether-island violations whatsoever. We discuss the implications of our findings for universalist approaches to island constraints. We also suggest ways of reconciling our results with previous observations, and offer a systematic experimental framework in which future research can investigate factors that govern apparent island insensitivity.

SUBMITTER: Kush D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6130316 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Investigating Variation in Island Effects: A Case Study of Norwegian Wh-Extraction.

Kush Dave D Lohndal Terje T Sprouse Jon J

Natural language & linguistic theory 20171127 3

We present a series of large-scale formal acceptability judgment studies that explored Norwegian island phenomena in order to follow up on previous observations that speakers of Mainland Scandinavian languages like Norwegian accept violations of certain island constraints that are unacceptable in most languages cross-linguistically. We tested the acceptability of wh-extraction from five island types: whether-, complex NP, subject, adjunct, and relative clause (RC) islands. We found clear evidenc ...[more]

PMID: 30214096

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Project description:BACKGROUND:A recent meta-analysis of nine cohort studies in youths reported that baseline ever e-cigarette use strongly predicted cigarette smoking initiation in the next 6-18 months, with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.62 (95% confidence interval 2.42-5.41). A recent review of e-cigarettes agreed there was substantial evidence for this "gateway effect". However, the number of confounders considered in the studies was limited, so we investigated whether the effect might have resulted from inadequate adjustment, using Waves 1 and 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study. METHODS:Our main analyses considered Wave 1 never cigarette smokers who, at Wave 2, had information available on smoking initiation. We constructed a propensity score for ever e-cigarette use from Wave 1 variables, using this to predict ever cigarette smoking. Sensitivity analyses accounted for use of other tobacco products, linked current e-cigarette use to subsequent current smoking, or used propensity scores for ever smoking or ever tobacco product use as predictors. We also considered predictors using data from both waves to attempt to control for residual confounding from misclassified responses. RESULTS:Adjustment for propensity dramatically reduced the unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of 5.70 (4.33-7.50) to 2.48 (1.85-3.31), 2.47 (1.79-3.42) or 1.85 (1.35-2.53), whether adjustment was made as quintiles, as a continuous variable or for the individual variables. Additional adjustment for other tobacco products reduced this last OR to 1.59 (1.14-2.20). Sensitivity analyses confirmed adjustment removed most of the gateway effect. Control for residual confounding also reduced the association. CONCLUSIONS:We found that confounding is a major factor, explaining most of the observed gateway effect. However, our analyses are limited by small numbers of new smokers considered and the possibility of over-adjustment if taking up e-cigarettes affects some predictor variables. Further analyses are intended using Wave 3 data which should avoid these problems.

Dataset Information

Investigating Variation in Island Effects: A Case Study of Norwegian Wh-Extraction.

Publications

Investigating Variation in Island Effects: A Case Study of Norwegian Wh-Extraction.

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