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Table 4 Hypothetical mental operation of negative probe sentences compared to counterfactual clauses

From: Linking counterfactuality with theory of mind: evidence from developmental studies with Yàobúshì in Chinese

Condition

True negative (TN)

False negative (FN)

Target clause

Yàobúshì the hurricane came

Yàobúshì the hurricane came

Test sentence

the hurricane was not far away

the hurricane did not come

Target representation

{CF, (came, hurricane)}

{CF, (came, hurricane)}

Test representation

[neg, (far away, hurricane)]

[neg, (came, hurricane)]

Mental operations

  

 

+

 

+

+

+

Response index: false

+

+

+

+

+

       true ☑

+

+

+

 

response = true

response = false

K + 5 comparisons

K + 4 comparisons

Chinese text in target

要不是颱風來了,………

要不是颱風來了,……….

Chinese text in probe

颱風沒有遠離,…

颱風沒有來,…….