This excel document contains the condition labels and linguistic stimuli for both List A and List B used in Rosa & Arnold (2017, Journal of Memory and Language). These stimuli were used in other experiments as well, but in some cases we changed the names of Lady Mannerly and Sir Barnes to The Duchess and The Duke, in order to align these names with the labels for the other characters, which were all definite descriptions. We also changed the name of “the chef” to “the cook” in later experiments. This choice results from our discovery that some participants assumed that “the chef” was male, in experiments without the visual stimuli.
For both the stimulus sentence and expected response, see below.
This word document is a downloadable version of the stimuli listed below.
Written stimuli, List A:
The maid and the butler made their bed | The maid opened the curtains |
Sir Barnes received a painting of the two of them from Lady Mannerly | Sir Barnes threw the painting in a closet |
The chef and the chauffeur brought in some groceries. | The chef unpacked the groceries |
The maid accepted some coffee from the butler. | The butler lit a fire |
The chef and the chauffeur sharpened some knives. | The chauffeur hid one in a drawer |
The butler handed an apron to theĀ maid. | The butler tied the ribbon on it |
Lady Mannerly saw the maid shine Sir Barnes’s shoes. | Lady Mannerly saw Sir Barnes kiss the maid on the hand |
The butler polished some silver. | The butler put a candlestick in his pocket |
Lady Mannerly gave a backrub to Sir Barnes. | Sir Barnes stormed out. |
Sir Barnes wrote a love letter to the maid. | Sir Barnes put the letter in an envelope |
Lady Mannerly borrowed a picnic basket from the chef. | Lady Mannerly folded a picnic blanket. |
The chauffeur drove Sir Barnes to town. | Sir Barnes went into a jewelry store. |
Lady Mannerly gave a basket of laundry to the maid. | The maid poured bleach on the laundry |
The chef and Lady Mannerly watered the plants in the kitchen. | The chef patted Lady Mannerly on the back |
Sir Barnes bought earrings from a sales clerk. | The sales clerk wrapped the gift. |
The maid held open the house door for Sir Barnes. | Sir Barnes whispered in her ear |
Lady Mannerly took some toast from the chef. | Lady Mannerly pushed her plate away |
The maid dusted pictures. | The butler saw the maid kiss a picture of Sir Barnes |
Lady Mannerly made some sandwiches. | Lady Mannerly packed the sandwiches in the picnic basket |
The maid accepted the earrings from Sir Barnes. | The maid exclaimed in happiness. |
Sir Barnes left the love letter on the table. | The maid found the love letter on the table |
The maid read her love letter. | The maid put it in her apron pocket |
Lady Mannerly handed the picnic basket to Sir Barnes. | Sir Barnes threw the picnic basket in the corner. |
The butler found the letter in the apron. | The butler opened the letter |
The chef handed a cookbook to the maid. | The chef pointed to a cake recipe in the book. |
Lady Mannerly handed the maid a dustpan and a broom. | The maid threw them on the ground |
The chauffeur took the letter from the butler. | The butler pounded his hand into his fist |
The maid gave Lady Mannerly a glass of champagne. | Lady Mannerly threw it in her face |
The rifle salesman sold a gun to the butler. | The butler polished the gun |
Sir Barnes and Lady Mannerly read the newspaper. | Sir Barnes checked his watch |
The butler purchased the bullets from the chauffeur. | The butler loaded the bullets in the gun. |
Sir Barnes and Lady Mannerly napped in their chairs. | Sir Barnes snuck out of the library |
The chef taught cake decorating to the maid. | The maid drew a heart on the top of the cake |
The butler and the chauffeur smoked cigars outside. | They shook hands |
The maid received a fur coat from Sir Barnes. | Sir Barnes closed the curtains. |
The chauffeur gave a silencer to the butler. | The butler screwed it onto the end of the gun |
The maid got a key from Sir Barnes. | The maid locked the door |
The butler took a flask out of his pocket. | The butler took a drink |
The maid handed a piece of cake to Sir Barnes. | The maid pointed at the heart on top of the cake |
The chef and Lady Mannerly planned the week’s menu. | The chef turned the radio on |
The chauffeur taught shooting techniques to the butler. | The chauffeur wiped off the gun |
Sir Barnes and the butler played some pool. | The butler won the game |
Sir Barnes threw his pool cue at the butler. | Sir Barnes and the butler fought |
Lady Mannerly took the ruined laundry from the maid. | The maid laughed |
Lady Mannerly dumped the laundry out onto the floor. | Lady Mannerly sat down and cried |
The maid handed the fur coat to the butler. | The butler looked at the label |
Sir Barnes kicked the pool table. | Sir Barnes broke a pool cue |
The butler got some ice from the chef. | The chef wrung her hands |
The chef and the chauffeur went to the orchard. | The chauffeur checked his watch |
Sir Barnes gave the check to the butler. | Sir Barnes laughed at him |
The butler ripped up the check. | The butler reached for the gun |
The chauffeur handed the baskets to the chef. | The chauffeur opened the door to the house |
The chef and the chauffeur saw Sir Barnes on the kitchen floor. | The chef picked up the gun from the floor |
Written stimuli, List B:
The maid and the butler made their bed. | The maid opened the curtains |
Lady Mannerly gave a painting of the two of them to Sir Barnes. | Sir Barnes put the painting in a closet |
The chef and the chauffeur brought in some groceries. | The chef unpacked the groceries |
The butler brought some coffee to the maid. | He lit a fire |
The chef and chauffeur sharpened some knives. | The chauffeur hid one in a drawer |
The maid took an apron from the butler. | The butler tied the ribbon on it |
Lady Mannerly saw the maid shine Sir Barnes’s shoes. | Lady Mannerly saw Sir Barnes kiss the maid on the hand |
The butler polished some silver. | The butler put a candlestick in his pocket |
Sir Barnes got a backrub from Lady Mannerly. | Sir Barnes stormed out. |
Sir Barnes wrote a love letter to the maid. | Sir Barnes put the letter in an envelope |
The chef loaned a picnic basket to Lady Mannerly. | Lady Mannerly folded a picnic blanket. |
The chauffeur drove Sir Barnes to town. | Sir Barnes went into a jewelry store. |
The maid took a basket of laundry from Lady Mannerly. | The maid poured bleach on the laundry |
The chef and Lady Mannerly watered the plants in the kitchen. | The chef patted Lady Mannerly on the back |
The sales clerk sold earrings to Sir Barnes. | The sales clerk wrapped the gift. |
The maid held open the house door for Sir Barnes. | Sir Barnes whispered in her ear |
The chef gave some toast to Lady Mannerly. | Lady Mannerly pushed her plate away |
The maid dusted pictures. | The butler saw the maid kiss a picture of Sir Barnes |
Lady Mannerly made some sandwiches. | Lady Mannerly packed the sandwiches in the picnic basket |
Sir Barnes gave the earrings to the maid. | The maid exclaimed in happiness. |
Sir Barnes left the love letter on the table. | The maid found the love letter on the table |
The maid read her love letter. | The maid put it in her apron pocket |
Sir Barnes took the picnic basket from Lady Mannerly. | Sir Barnes threw the picnic basket in the corner. |
The butler found the letter in the apron. | The butler opened the letter |
The maid took a cookbook from the chef. | The chef pointed to a cake recipe in the book. |
Lady Mannerly handed the maid a dustpan and a broom. | The maid threw them on the ground |
The butler handed the letter to the chauffeur. | The butler pounded his hand into his fist |
The maid gave Lady Mannerly a glass of champagne. | Lady Mannerly threw it in her face |
The butler bought a gun from the rifle salesman. | The butler polished the gun |
Sir Barnes and Lady Mannerly read the newspaper. | Sir Barnes checked his watch |
The chauffeur sold bullets to the butler. | The butler loaded the bullets in the gun. |
Sir Barnes and Lady Mannerly napped in their chairs. | Sir Barnes snuck out of the library |
The maid learned cake decorating from the chef | The maid drew a heart on the top of the cake |
The butler and the chauffeur smoked cigars outside. | They shook hands |
Sir Barnes gave a fur coat to the maid. | Sir Barnes closed the curtains. |
The chauffeur gave a silencer to the butler. | The butler screwed it onto the end of the gun |
Sir Barnes gave the key to the maid. | The maid locked the door |
The butler took a flask out of his pocket. | The butler took a drink |
Sir Barnes took a piece of cake from the maid. | The maid pointed at the heart on top of the cake |
The chef and Lady Mannerly planned the week’s menu. | The chef turned the radio on |
The butler learned shooting techniques from the chauffeur | The chauffeur wiped off the gun |
Sir Barnes and the butler played some pool. | The butler won the game |
Sir Barnes threw his pool cue at the butler. | Sir Barnes and the butler fought |
The maid gave the ruined laundry back to Lady Mannerly. | The maid laughed |
Lady Mannerly dumped the laundry out onto the floor. | Lady Mannerly sat down and cried |
The butler grabbed the fur coat from the maid. | The butler looked at the label |
Sir Barnes kicked the pool table. | Sir Barnes broke a pool cue |
The chef gave some ice to the butler. | The chef wrung her hands |
The chef and the chauffeur went to the orchard. | The chauffeur checked his watch |
The butler grabbed the check from Sir Barnes. | Sir Barnes laughed at him |
The butler ripped up the check. | The butler reached for the gun |
The chef got the baskets from the chauffeur. | The chauffeur opened the door to the house |
The chef and the chauffeur saw Sir Barnes on the kitchen floor. | The chef picked up the gun from the floor |