Capturing the multi-determined nature of idiom processing using ERPs

The multi-determined model (Titone & Libben, The Mental Lexicon, 2014, 9, 473) suggests that processing of idioms depends on multiple linguistic factors (e.g., familiarity, literal plausibility, decomposability). According to this model, these sources of information modulate the comprehension of idioms at different time courses. In the current study, we investigated whether these linguistics factors modulate the neurophysiological underpinnings associated with processing of different types of idioms. Adult native speakers of English read sentences that contained idioms with high and low level of familiarity and literal plausibility while their electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. Event-related potentials data showed that idioms with low level of familiarity elicited larger negativity starting from 300 ms post stimulus onset and lasted for about 200 ms. A similar negativity, but which started later (at around 400 ms post stimulus onset) was also observed for idioms with a low level of literal plausibility. These results are consistent with the multi-determined model of idiom processing indicating the role of these linguistics factors over different time courses. Finally, the observed negativity for low familiar and low literally plausible idioms was greater over the right hemisphere. Accordingly, the possible role of the right hemisphere in processing idioms will be discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).