The cost of silence: Processing constraints on elliptical strategies

Abstract

This study investigates the processing constraints on clausal ellipsis, specifically sluicing, to test the Processing Cost Hypothesis. Through a dual-task behavioral paradigm, the research manipulated Sluice Type and Cognitive Load. Results indicate that in Regular Sluicing, participants exhibit a strong preference for computationally efficient non-isomorphic evasion strategies under low cognitive load. However, this preference neutralizes under high load, suggesting that structural selection is a dynamic decision constrained by available executive resources. Conversely, Contrast Sluicing remains rigidly isomorphic regardless of load, as grammatical mandates override resource-based optimization. These findings support resource-rational models of language comprehension, proving that the human parser balances syntactic fidelity and processing economy only when the grammar permits structural optionality.