Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1 The preliminary 1
1.2 The special status of demonstratives in language 3
1.3 The rationale for this study 4
1.4 The key research questions of this study 7
1.5 The significance of this study 8
1.6 The organization of the thesis 9
Chapter 2 Literature Review 11
2.1 Introduction 11
2.2 Studies of demonstratives in the philosophic approach 12
2.3 Studies of demonstratives in the pragmatic approach 17
2.4 Studies of demonstratives in the discourse analysis approach 21
2.5 Studies of demonstratives in the linguistic approach 29
2.6 Studies of demonstratives in the cognitive approach 33
2.7 A critique of the previous analysis of deixis and demonstratives 41
2.8 Summary 44
Chapter 3 Theoretical Foundations and Research Framework 45
3.1 Introduction 45
3.2 Theoretical Foundations 45
3.3 Research framework 71
Chapter 4 Experiment 1:Relationship between Distances and Modes of Pointing and the Choice of Demonstratives 80
4.1 Introduction 80
4.2 Target of research 81
4.3 Hypothesis 81
4.4 Method 82
4.5 Results 86
4.6 Discussion 93
Chapter 5 Experiment 2:Relationship between Visibility and the Choice of Demonstratives 100
5.1 Introduction 100
5.2 Target of research 101
5.3 Hypothesis 101
5.4 Method 102
5.5 Results 103
5.6 Discussion 105
Chapter 6 Experiment 3:Relationship between Size and the Choice of Demonstratives 109
6.1 Introduction 109
6.2 Target of research 109
6.3 Hypothesis 110
6.4 Method 110
6.5 Results 116
6.6 Discussion 124
Chapter 7 Experiment 4:Relationship between Emotions and the Choice of Demonstratives 127
7.1 Introduction 127
7.2 Target of research 128
7.3 Hypothesis 128
7.4 Method 129
7.5 Results 132
7.6 Discussion 139
Chapter 8 Experiment 5:Relationship between the Sequence and the Choice of Demonstratives 144
8.1 Introduction 144
8.2 Target of research 145
8.3 Hypothesis 145
8.4 Method 146
8.5 Results 146
8.6 Discussion 153
Chapter 9 Experiment 6:Relationship between Speaker's or Addressee's Territory and the Choice of Demonstratives 157
9.1 Introduction 157
9.2 Target of research 159
9.3 Hypothesis 159
9.4 Method 160
9.5 Results 162
9.6 Discussion 168
Chapter 10 General Discussion 171
10.1 Introduction 171
10.2 The factors influencing the speaker's choice of spatial demonstratives 171
10.3 The nature of the relationship between distance and spatial demonstratives 174
10.4 A theoretical framework for the situational use of spatial demonstratives 175
10.5 The physio-psychological bases for the mental space building view 182
10.6 The advantages of the mental space building view of spatial demonstratives 187
10.7 Implications for the relationship between cognition,language and reality 188
Chapter 11 Conclusions,Limitations,and Suggestions for Future Research 194
11.1 Introduction 194
11.2 Conclusions 194
11.3 Limitations 197
11.4 Suggestions for future research 199
Appendix A The Results of DCT(A)(with the Instruction:Fill in the blank with one word) 202
Appendix B The Results of DCT(B)(with the Instruction:Fill in the blank with zhe or na) 209
Appendix C The Results of Experiment 1 216
Appendix D The Results of Experiment 2 225
Appendix E Tasks about the Size and the Sequence 227
Appendix F Tasks about Territories 233
Appendix G Tasks about the Emotions and the Sequence 238
References 243