In this paper, we present an experiment that shows conflicting findings from truth-value judgments and eye-tracking data for testing reference assignment of proper names. We argue that if eye-tracking is a more reliable method than truth-value judgment tasks, then our eye- tracking data provide stronger empirical support for Kripke’s causal-historical theory of reference for proper names. We also argue that eye-tracking and truth-value judgments cannot both be reliable techniques for resolving the debate. If they were, they should yield convergent results. Instead, we find that the truth-value judgment data align with the descriptivist prediction, while the eye-tracking results conform to the Kripkean pattern.
Eye-tracking evidence for the causal-historical theory of reference
Massimiliano Vignolo
2024-01-01
Abstract
In this paper, we present an experiment that shows conflicting findings from truth-value judgments and eye-tracking data for testing reference assignment of proper names. We argue that if eye-tracking is a more reliable method than truth-value judgment tasks, then our eye- tracking data provide stronger empirical support for Kripke’s causal-historical theory of reference for proper names. We also argue that eye-tracking and truth-value judgments cannot both be reliable techniques for resolving the debate. If they were, they should yield convergent results. Instead, we find that the truth-value judgment data align with the descriptivist prediction, while the eye-tracking results conform to the Kripkean pattern.
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