Abstract
AbstractWhile there is a substantial amount of evidence for language processing being a highly incremental and predictive process, we still know relatively little about how top-down discourse based expectations are combined with bottom-up information such as discourse connectives. The present article reports on three experiments investigating this question using different methodologies (visual world paradigm and ERPs) in two languages (German and English). We find support for highly incremental processing of causal and concessive discourse connectives, causing anticipation of upcoming material. Our visual world study shows that anticipatory looks depend on the discourse connective; furthermore, the German ERP study revealed an N400 effect on a gender-marked adjective preceding the target noun, when the target noun was inconsistent with the expectations elicited by the combination of context and discourse connective. Moreover, our experiments reveal that the facilitation of downstream material based on earlier connectives comes at the cost of reversing original expectations, as evidenced by a P600 effect on the concessive relative to the causal connective.
Highlights
While there is a substantial amount of evidence for language processing being a highly incremental and predictive process, we still know relatively little about how top-down discourse based expectations are combined with bottom-up information such as discourse connectives
Our visual world study shows that anticipatory looks depend on the discourse connective; the German event-related potentials (ERPs) study revealed an N400 effect on a gender-marked adjective preceding the target noun, when the target noun was inconsistent with the expectations elicited by the combination of context and discourse connective
The presented experiments contribute to the four research questions presented in the introduction in the following way: 1. The first question was whether we could replicate previous findings in that connectives facilitate processing of downstream material
Summary
While there is a substantial amount of evidence for language processing being a highly incremental and predictive process, we still know relatively little about how top-down discourse based expectations are combined with bottom-up information such as discourse connectives. Existing work on the processing of discourse relations has already provided some evidence that discourse connectors may be rapidly and incrementally integrated with earlier parts of the discourse (e.g., Traxler et al 1997a; Xiang and Kuperberg 2015), and that comprehenders are sensitive to fine-grained discourse structure (Delogu et al 2018; Scholman et al 2017) It is, still unclear how the bottom-up information from the connective is integrated with top-down predictions based on the previous discourse, and whether the observed facilitation at later content words is a prediction effect or reveals facilitated integration. Can we unambiguously show that the facilitative effect of connectives on later content words is related to prediction as opposed to facilitated integration?
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
