Languages vary in the mapping of relational terms onto events. For instance, English motion descriptions favor manner (how something moves) verbs over path (where something move) verbs, whereas those of other languages, like Spanish, show the opposite pattern. While these lexicalization biases are malleable, adopting a novel lexicalization pattern can be slow for second language learners. One potential mechanism for learning non-native verb mappings is cross-situational statistical learning (CSSL). However, the application of CSSL to verbs is limited and does not explicitly examine how lexicalization biases may complicate adults’ ability to resolve the referential uncertainty of multiple referents. We ask English-speaking monolingual adults to learn the mappings of ten verbs via CSSL. Verbs mapped onto either manner or path of motion, with the other event component held constant. Adults in both conditions demonstrated successful learning of novel verbs, with adults learning the manner verbs showing more consistent performance across accepting correct referents and rejecting incorrect ones. Our results are the first to demonstrate adults’ use of CSSL to acquire verb meanings that both align with and cut against native lexicalization biases and suggest a limited influence of lexicalization biases on adults’ learning in idealized CSSL conditions.

中文翻译：

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词汇化偏差对新动词跨情境统计学习的影响

不同的语言将关系术语映射到事件上。例如，英语的运动描述更喜欢方式（某物如何移动）动词而不是路径（某物在哪里移动）动词，而其他语言（如西班牙语）则显示相反的模式。虽然这些词汇化偏差是可塑的，但对于第二语言学习者来说，采用新的词汇化模式可能会很慢。学习非母语动词映射的一种潜在机制是跨情境统计学习（CSSL）。然而，CSSL 在动词上的应用是有限的，并且没有明确研究词汇化偏差如何使成年人解决多个所指对象的指称不确定性的能力变得复杂。我们要求只会说英语的单语成年人通过 CSSL 学习十个动词的映射。动词映射到运动的方式或路径，而其他事件组件保持不变。这两种情况下的成年人都表现出成功学习新动词的能力，成年人学习方式动词在接受正确的指称和拒绝不正确的指称方面表现出更一致的表现。我们的研究结果首次证明了成年人使用 CSSL 来获取动词含义，这些动词含义既符合又反对本地词汇化偏差，并表明词汇化偏差对成人在理想化 CSSL 条件下的学习影响有限。