Distributional Cues in Construction Acquisition: A Comparative Study of Native and Nonnative English Speakers Using the As‐Predicative Construction

Abstract

This study investigates how distributional cues are integrated into the mental representation of the as‐predicative construction by English native and nonnative speakers, drawing on associative learning theory. We examined speakers’ constructional retrieval when given a verbal cue (Experiment 1) and their verb retrieval when given a constructional cue (Experiment 2). Speakers concurrently integrated both cues in their construction retrieval but not in their verb retrieval. Between‐group differences were also found, alongside distinct effects of verb frequency and voice. A question is therefore raised about the integration of distributional cues in forward versus backward retrieval of linguistic information, though we maintain that constructional categories partially emerge as a result of distributional information hinging on ΔP theory. We highlight the need for more comprehensive research, particularly in relation to crosslinguistic differences and the role of second language proficiency, and we offer an alternative statistical perspective by adopting a Bayesian approach to logistic and negative binomial mixed‐effects modeling.