This article presents a linguistic account explaining particular mechanisms underlying the generation of expectations at the discourse level. We further develop a linguistic theory – the Empty Slot Theory – explaining the phenomenon of implicit verb causality. According to our proposal, implicit causality (IC) verbs introduce lexically determined slots for causal content of specific types. If the required information is not derivable from the current or preceding context, IC verbs generate the expectation that these slots will be filled in the upcoming discourse. The cognitive mechanism underlying the bias is grounded in the general processing strategy of avoiding accommodation. Empirical evidence for the proposed theory is provided in three continuation experiments in German with comprehensive semantic annotation of the continuations provided by the participants. The reported experiments consistently show that IC bias can be manipulated in systematic ways. Experiment 1 demonstrates important ontological constraints on causal content crucial for our theory. Experiments 2 and 3 show how IC biases can be manipulated in predictable ways by filling the hypothesized slots in the prompt. Experiment 2 illustrates that stimulus-experiencer (experiencer-object) verbs in contrast to causative agent-patient verbs can be manipulated with respect to coherence and coreference by employing adverbial modification. Filling the lexically determined slot of psychological verbs resulted in predictable changes in coherence relations and types of explanations, resulting in the predicted effects on coreference. Experiment 3 extends the empirical investigations to so-called “agent-evocator” verbs. Again, filling the semantic slot as part of the prompt resulted in predictable shifts in coherence relations and explanation types with transparent effects on coreference. The reported experiments shed further light on the close correspondence between coherence and coreference as a hallmark of natural language discourse.

中文翻译：

---

话语期望：解释动词的内在因果偏见

本文提供了一种语言学解释，解释了在话语级别产生期望的特定机制。我们进一步发展了一种语言学理论-空槽理论-解释了隐含动词因果关系的现象。根据我们的建议，隐式因果（IC）动词为特定类型的因果内容引入了词法确定的时段。如果所需信息不是从当前或之前的上下文中得出的，则IC动词会产生这样的期望，即在即将到来的演讲中将填充这些空位。偏见的认知机制基于避免调节的一般处理策略。在三个德语的延续实验中提供了提出的理论的经验证据，并对参与者提供的延续进行了全面的语义注释。报道的实验一致表明，可以通过系统的方式来控制IC偏置。实验1证明了因果内容对我们的理论至关重要的重要本体论约束。实验2和3显示了如何通过在提示中填充假设的空位来以可预测的方式操纵IC偏置。实验2说明，通过使用副词修饰，可以相对于连贯和共指来操纵与致使者-患者动词相反的刺激-体验者（体验者-宾语）动词。填补词汇上由心理动词确定的空缺会导致连贯关系和解释类型的可预测变化，从而导致对共指的预期影响。实验3将实证研究扩展到所谓的“代言人”动词。再次，在提示中填充语义空缺会导致连贯关系和解释类型的可预测变化，并对共指代产生透明影响。报道的实验进一步揭示了连贯性和共指性之间的紧密对应关系，这是自然语言话语的标志。作为提示的一部分填充语义空缺会导致连贯关系和解释类型的可预测变化，并对共指代产生透明影响。报道的实验进一步揭示了连贯性和共指性之间的紧密对应关系，这是自然语言话语的标志。作为提示的一部分填充语义空缺会导致连贯关系和解释类型的可预测变化，并对共指代产生透明影响。报道的实验进一步揭示了连贯性和共指性之间的紧密对应关系，这是自然语言话语的标志。