Syntactic processing and Mismatch Negativity

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Syntactic processing and Mismatch Negativity Zeb Caslick-Waller1 and Steve Provost1* 1 Southern Cross University, School of Health and Human Sciences, Australia There is a debate as to whether syntactic processing is a top-down or bottom-up mechanism. Recent electroencephalographic (EEG) research has applied auditory Mismatch Negativity (MMN) to this issue (e.g. Pulvermüller, & Assadollahi, 2007; Pulvermüller, Shtyrov, Hasting, & Carlyon, 2008). In this research, an MMN has been observed to syntax (sMMN), which differs in amplitude from non-syntactic MMN controls. Aims: The aim of this study was to examine whether a syntactic MMN could be obtained to visually-presented words. Methods: EEG was recorded while participants observed word pairs on a screen, varying in grammatical correctness. A roving oddball paradigm, with correct and incorrect stimulus being presented as both deviants and standards at different times. Results: There was vMMN effect to both the grammatically relevant word-pair changes and normal linguistic word-pair changes, but the MMN did not reflect changes in degree of syntactic violation. A number of other ERP components, including changes at about N1, P2 and P3 did differ in a way consistent with the detection of changes in syntactic correctness. These differences were not obtained in all conditions, however, suggesting that alternative explanations for their presence require consideration. Conclusions: The findings of this study replicate those of Pulvermüller et al, (2007; 2008), but raise a question as to the degree to which these data are to be explained in terms of syntactic processing. The methodology employed here allows for a more precise determination of the accuracy of this claim, for which this study provides mixed evidence. If syntactic violation is indeed responsible for the effects obtained here, the range of ERP components involved would suggest that both top-down and bottom-up processes are involved. Keywords: mismatch negativity (MMN), Semantic Processing, roving oddball paradigm, ERP components, Word pairs Conference: Australasian Society for Psychophysiology, Inc, Coffs Harbour, Australia, 26 Nov - 28 Nov, 2014. Presentation Type: Poster Topic: Psychophysiology Citation: Caslick-Waller Z and Provost S (2014). Syntactic processing and Mismatch Negativity. Conference Abstract: Australasian Society for Psychophysiology, Inc. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2014.216.00036 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 02 Dec 2014; Published Online: 02 Dec 2014. * Correspondence: Dr. Steve Provost, Southern Cross University, School of Health and Human Sciences, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia, steve.provost@scu.edu.au Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Zeb Caslick-Waller Steve Provost Google Zeb Caslick-Waller Steve Provost Google Scholar Zeb Caslick-Waller Steve Provost PubMed Zeb Caslick-Waller Steve Provost Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.