Sat, Jun 20, 2026
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Volume 27, Issue 4 (winter 2026)
Advances in Cognitive Sciences 2026, 27(4): 87-100 |
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Research code: 244
Ethics code: IR.MODARES.REC.1402.068
Clinical trials code: ---
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Heydari F, Bahrami-Khorshid S, Golbazi Mahdipour A, Taheri M. Understanding counterfactual conditionals in Persian: Evidence from eye-tracking. Advances in Cognitive Sciences 2026; 27 (4) :87-100
URL: http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-1820-en.html
URL: http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-1820-en.html
1- MA in Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
2- Associate Professor of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
3- MA in Master of Business Administration, Faculty of Management, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
2- Associate Professor of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
3- MA in Master of Business Administration, Faculty of Management, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (252 Views)
Introduction: Numerous studies have demonstrated that comprehending counterfactual conditionals (e.g., “If he had woken up early, he would have gotten Sangak (bread)”) involves activating two distinct meanings: 1) The conjecture (getting Sangak) and 2) The presupposed facts (not getting Sangak). The present study aimed to compare the timing and sequence of activating these two meanings during the comprehension of affirmative and negative Persian counterfactual conditionals.
Methods: The database used in this study consisted of 256 short scenarios, organized into eight sets of 32. In each set, half of the short scenarios were affirmative counterfactual conditionals, and half were negative. Using a visual-world paradigm with eye-tracking, this research examined the activation of both meanings during sentence processing. Fixation probability data from 32 native Persian speakers (21 women, 11 men; mean age=22.34 years) were analyzed.
Results: The results revealed that during the comprehension of both types of counterfactual conditionals, Persian speakers represented both meanings. They first activated and fixated on the presupposed facts before considering the conjecture. Eye-tracking data revealed significantly longer fixation durations on presupposed facts compared to the conjecture, across both types of sentences. Observations on how the specificity of presupposed facts influenced fixations in both types of sentences suggested that the higher specificity of presupposed facts in negative counterfactuals led Persian speakers to focus on them earlier, though fixation durations did not differ significantly.
Conclusion: Findings align with the Mental Model Theory and Reality Bias in the comprehension and processing of counterfactual conditionals in Persian.
Methods: The database used in this study consisted of 256 short scenarios, organized into eight sets of 32. In each set, half of the short scenarios were affirmative counterfactual conditionals, and half were negative. Using a visual-world paradigm with eye-tracking, this research examined the activation of both meanings during sentence processing. Fixation probability data from 32 native Persian speakers (21 women, 11 men; mean age=22.34 years) were analyzed.
Results: The results revealed that during the comprehension of both types of counterfactual conditionals, Persian speakers represented both meanings. They first activated and fixated on the presupposed facts before considering the conjecture. Eye-tracking data revealed significantly longer fixation durations on presupposed facts compared to the conjecture, across both types of sentences. Observations on how the specificity of presupposed facts influenced fixations in both types of sentences suggested that the higher specificity of presupposed facts in negative counterfactuals led Persian speakers to focus on them earlier, though fixation durations did not differ significantly.
Conclusion: Findings align with the Mental Model Theory and Reality Bias in the comprehension and processing of counterfactual conditionals in Persian.
Keywords: Counterfactual conditionals, Visual world paradigm, Mental model theory, eye-tracking, Persian language
Type of Study: Research |
Received: 2025/09/6 | Accepted: 2026/02/24 | Published: 2026/06/10
Received: 2025/09/6 | Accepted: 2026/02/24 | Published: 2026/06/10
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