Verbing nouns and nouning verbs: Using a balanced design provides ERP evidence against "syntax-first" approaches to sentence processing.

ABSTRACT: In this event-related potential (ERP) study we reevaluate syntax-first approaches to sentence processing by implementing a novel paradigm in French that includes correct sentences, pure syntactic category violations, lexical-semantic anomalies, and combined anomalies. Our balanced design systematically controlled for target word (noun vs. verb) and the context immediately preceding it. Group results from 36 native speakers of Quebec French revealed that, up to 300 ms, ERPs elicited by syntactic category violations were comparable with ERP responses to correct sentences, showing that there is no early activation reflecting syntactic category identification. Instead, in response to all anomalous conditions, we observed an N400 followed by a P600. Combined anomalies yielded additive effects o

SUBMITTER: Fromont LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7069651 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature