abstractWhile theories on predictive processing posit that predictions are based on one’s prior experiences, experimental work has effectively ignored the fact that people differ from each other in their linguistic experiences and, consequently, in the predictions they generate. We examine usage-based variation by means of three groups of participants (recruiters, job-seekers, and people not (yet) looking for a job), two stimuli sets (word sequences characteristic of either job ads or news reports), and two experiments (a Completion task and a Voice Onset Time task). We show that differences in experiences with a particular register result in different expectations regarding word sequences characteristic of that register, thus pointing to differences in mental representations of language. Subsequently, we investigate to what extent different operationalizations of word predictability are accurate predictors of voice onset times. A measure of a participant’s own expectations proves to be a significant predictor of processing speed over and above word predictability measures based on amalgamated data. These findings point to actual individual differences and highlight the merits of going beyond amalgamated data. We thus demonstrate that is it feasible to empirically assess the variation implied in usage-based theories, and we advocate exploiting this opportunity.

中文翻译：

---

预测语言处理揭示基于使用的变化

摘要虽然关于预测处理的理论假设预测是基于一个人的先前经验，但实验工作实际上忽略了这样一个事实，即人们在语言经验方面彼此不同，因此在他们产生的预测方面也存在差异。我们通过三组参与者（招聘人员、求职者和尚未（尚未）找工作的人）、两组刺激组（招聘广告或新闻报道的词序列特征）和两组参与者来检查基于使用的变化。实验（完成任务和语音开始时间任务）。我们表明，对特定语域的体验差异会导致对该语域的单词序列特征的不同期望，从而指出语言心理表征的差异。随后，我们调查了单词可预测性的不同操作在多大程度上是语音开始时间的准确预测指标。参与者自身期望的测量被证明是处理速度的重要预测指标，超过了基于合并数据的单词可预测性测量。这些发现指出了实际的个体差异，并突出了超越合并数据的优点。因此，我们证明，凭经验评估基于使用的理论中隐含的变化是可行的，我们提倡利用这一机会。这些发现指出了实际的个体差异，并突出了超越合并数据的优点。因此，我们证明，凭经验评估基于使用的理论中隐含的变化是可行的，我们提倡利用这一机会。这些发现指出了实际的个体差异，并突出了超越合并数据的优点。因此，我们证明，凭经验评估基于使用的理论中隐含的变化是可行的，我们提倡利用这一机会。