Revising noun predictions based on English measure phrases: evidence from visual-world eye-tracking

Can comprehenders use unexpected incoming information to revise their existing predictions on the fly? A recent study in Mandarin Chinese found that, upon hearing a prediction-inconsistent nominal classifier, listeners were able to rapidly revise their predictions and redirect their eye gaze towards a previously unexpected object. In the present study, we extended this finding to English using measure phrases (e.g. “a pile of”). Unlike Mandarin classifiers, measure phrases are not obligatory for nouns in English, which allows us to test whether comprehenders can quickly revise their predictions even when the relevant cue is not routinely present in the language. We found that, upon encountering a measure phrase that contradicts their initial prediction, listeners quickly redirected their eye gaze from the originally expected object to an unexpected object that was compatible with the new information. We propose that comprehenders can rapidly revise predictions in response to unexpected bottom-up input across languages.