Forced choice study "Abyssinian"

The aim of the study was to identify adjectives which can be understood as long lasting or short lived (individual and stage level predicates, respectively). The prediction is that permanent and long lasting characteristics will be ones over which the subject of the sentence has no influence over, while the short ones are easily controled. However, the study's premise was flawed and the research pursued a different direction.

The participants were seated in a computer pool in front of a computer and asked to read short sentences and asked to rate the length of the situation or characteristic on a scale of 1 (very short) to 7 (very long). They were asked to read naturally and answer the questions as quickly as possible. The experiment was preceeded by an exercise with 4 sentences (2 long and 2 short situations or characteristics). Every list started with a filler item. The 4 lists were presented in one of four pseudorandomised and conterballanced orders.

The study had one factor (duration of characteristic)

              1. Annika ist arm. (long)

              2. Annika ist tot. (permanent)

              3. Annika ist müde. (short)

              4. Annika ist faul. (short or long)