| dc.description.abstract | Singular they is becoming increasingly common and accepted, but many people find it difficult to learn, instead making seemingly-counterintuitive errors like “she uses they/them pronouns.” Existing pronoun production models argue that speakers select pronouns based on morphosyntactic information associated with a name, or based on semantic/conceptual knowledge about a person. However, learning to use singular they may require a change in production processes. The first three experiments argue for a model where speakers may instead need to retrieve information from episodic memory about a person’s stated pronouns or which pronouns other speakers use to refer to them. Experiment 1 establishes a measure for how people learn to associate pronouns with a person, and how they use this information to select which pronouns to produce. Experiment 2 investigates how providing people with information about why paying attention to gendered language is important and how seeing singular they modeled can support memory for and production of singular they. Experiment 3 moves from written to spoken production, testing how including pronouns on nametags and in introductions—common EDI recommendations—affects pronoun choice. Experiment 4 investigates online comprehension, using the visual world paradigm to characterize how singular they is being integrated into existing processing mechanisms. The results demonstrate that people can learn that someone uses they/them after only brief introductions, and that a PSA, including pronouns on nametags, and including pronouns in introductions can support accurate production of singular they. These findings help extend processing models to account for a wider range of people’s language use and contribute to evidence-based best practices for creating gender-inclusive environments. | |
