week 6

Fox, Tree (1,6, 10)
1. One purpose for the function of uhm and uhs is that they serve as signals for upcoming delay. As the book describes, when people are thinking of answers to factual questions they; say um when they delay before answering if going to be long and uh when the delay is going to be short.  This can affect comprehension because uhm and uh are indicators of an upcoming short or long delay and may prompt the listener to change their focus.

6. For Experiment 1, I would listen to each list, 10 per list, I would mark on an answer sheet whether I thought each trial had been edited. I would be asked to "spot the splice" where the material may have been digitally altered.

For Experiment 2, I would listen and follow along to a transcript (up to 6x). During the recording, I would mark on the transcript where I felt the recording was digitally manipulated.

10. In the study they found that uhs increased the speed at which listeners are able to recognize words in upcoming speech, whereas ums were found to hae no effect on the listeners' speed of recognition. The pattern of results showed that uhms and uhs do not inhibit on-line processing and, even more surprising that uhs aid processing.

Foertsh & Gernsbacher (2,6,12)
2. In some situations, singular they has been okay to use and some grammar books argue that singular they seems more natural than generic he in certain situations. and most now allow writers to use they as a pronoun for two limited classes of singular antecedents; indefinite pronouns. 

6. For experiment 1, I would read 72 three-clause sentences at my own reading pace and then indicate (using true or false) whether I agree or disagree with the opinion expressed in each sentence. Experiment 2 was similar accept that my response would be to a "yes/no" question instead of "true/false").

12. 
(a) A zebra should never hide in the water, even if they have learned how to swim.
(b) A male zebra should never hide in the water, if they have learned how to swim.