Spatial referencing across languages: Cultural preferences and cognitive implications

不同的语言在它们提供的用于描述空间星座的参考框架（FoR）方面有所不同，并且优先使用其中的哪一个。这些差异是否会影响其他认知过程是有争议的辩论。这部分是因为迄今为止所关注的基本FoR在大多数语言中都有替代版本。在这个项目中，我们打算比较两种变体（自反和平移），它们是相互排斥的，因此可以直接预测。该项目追求三个主要目标：调查（1）内部和跨文化的参考偏好的变化因素，（2）这些偏好的注意，表征和评价的参考对象的影响，和（3）隐喻扩展的空间偏好的时间域。方法包括实地研究，跨语言实验和多项式建模。共有五种语言（德语，美国英语，瑞典语，汤加语和中文）将被纳入这一比较，因为它们在空间和/或时间参考的关键方面有所不同。

Languages differ with regard to which frames of reference (FoR) they provide for describing spatial constellations, and to which of these are preferentially used. Whether these differences affect other cognitive processes is subject to controversial debate. This is partly due to the fact that the basic FoRs focussed so far are alternatively available in most languages. In this project, we intend to compare two variants (reflexive and translational), which are mutually exclusive and therefore allow for straightforward predictions. The project pursues three main goals: to investigate (1) factors of intra- and intercultural variability in reference preferences, (2) implications of these preferences for attention, representation and evaluation of the referenced objects, and (3) metaphoric extension of spatial preferences to the domain of time. Methods include field-studies, cross-linguistic experiments and multinomial modelling. Altogether five languages (German, US-English, Swedish, Tongan, and Chinese) will be included in this comparison as they differ in critical aspects regarding spatial and/or temporal references.