Probabilistic adaptation of language comprehension for individual speakers: evidence from neural oscillations.

ABSTRACT: Listeners adapt language comprehension based on their mental representations of speakers, but how these representations are updated remains unclear. We investigated whether listeners probabilistically adapt comprehension based on the frequency of speakers making stereotype-incongruent statements. In two EEG experiments, participants heard speakers make stereotype-congruent or incongruent statements, with incongruency base rate manipulated. In Experiment 1, stereotype-incongruent statements decreased high-beta (21-30 Hz) and theta (4-6 Hz) oscillatory power in the low base rate condition but increased it in the high base rate condition. The theta effect varied with listeners' openness trait: less open-minded participants tended to show theta increases to stereotype incongruencies, while mor

SUBMITTER: Wu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12542498 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature