Integration of structural probabilities in speech production: Evidence from Japanese relative clauses

The predictability of words (e.g., word frequency, subcategorization bias) is previously known to influence acoustic output, in which more predictable words are produced with a shorter duration. This study explores whether structural probability is also reflected in incremental speech production, replicating a previous study by Kurumada (2011). We used Japanese relative clauses to address this question, as these relative clauses are prenominal, and the embedded subject can be marked with the nominative marker -ga or the genitive marker -no; the nominative marker is also used in the independent clause, but the genitive marker is not, increasing the probability of an upcoming head noun. Results from nine native speakers of Japanese did not show any significant difference between the duration of head nouns between when they were produced following the genitive marker and when they were produced following the nominative marker.