Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Comparing the Frequency Effect Between the Lexical Decision and Naming Tasks in Chinese
Published on: April 1, 2016
Why a "word order difference" is not always a "word order" difference: a reply to Weyerts, Penke, Münte, Heinze, and
Matthias Schlesewsky1, Ina Bornkessel, Martin Meyer
1Junior Research Group Neurolinguistics, Department of Germanic Linguistics and Fine Arts, Philipps-University Marburg, Wilhelm-Röpke-Str. 6A, 35032 Marburg. schlesel@mailer.unimarburg.de
Abstract:
We present evidence that the supposed processing advantage for an SVfinO word order over an SOVfin word order in German argued for by Weyerts, Penke, Münte, Heinze, and Clahsen (2002) is supported by neither experimental nor theoretical evidence. Specifically, we show (a) that the frontocentral negativity for an SOVfin in comparison to an SVfinO word order in Weyerts et al.'s Experiments 2 and 3 is reducible to more general differences in the electrophysiological responses elicited by nouns versus verbs in a sentence context, and (b) that the P600 difference between the two word orders in Experiment 2, as well as the reading time differences in Experiment 1, result from the fact that the two supposedly ungrammatical conditions actually differ in their degree of ill-formedness. We conclude that there is no evidence for a processing disadvantage for SOVfin, thus reconciling Weyerts et al.'s results on German sentence processing with the grammatical regularities of German.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
The Aufbau Principle and Hund's Rule
Stereoisomerism
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula.
Transition metal complexes often exist as geometric isomers, in which the same atoms are connected through the same types of bonds but with differences in their orientation in space. Coordination complexes with two different ligands in the cis and trans positions from a ligand of interest form isomers. For example, the octahedral [Co(NH3)4Cl2]+ ion has two isomers (Figure 1) In the cis...
Naming Enantiomers
Chirality at Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur
A consequence of chirality is the need for enantiomeric resolution. While this is theoretically possible for all...
Aldol Condensation vs Claisen Condensation
[3,3] Sigmatropic Rearrangement of Allyl Vinyl Ethers: Claisen Rearrangement

