Classifier versus taxonomic relations in a similarity judgement task

Abstract

Compared with non-classifier speakers, classifier speakers often showed more sensitivity to classifier-oriented parameters (also referred to as conceptual saliency) such as animacy, shape and function -the purported "classifier effect". This study thus further testified the classifier effect through a similarity judgement task. Chinese speakers (N=41) rated significantly lower than English speakers (N=41) in taxonomic pairs, but not in thematic, classifier or filler pairs. However, both groups consistently rated highest in the thematic pairs, followed by the taxonomic, classifier and filler pairs. Chinese speakers also spent longer time than their English counterparts in each pair condition. A subset analysis of taxonomic pairs indicated a varying degree of disparity on conceptual saliency. Findings together suggested an implicit classifier effect from Chinese speakers, but classifier relation itself was not employed as a predominant parameter for object perception.