Language and non-linguistic cognition: Shared mechanisms and principles reflected in the N400
1University of Tübingen, Schleichstr. 4, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Abstract:
Language is a core cognitive faculty. Research on language processing is typically carried out independently of research within other cognitive domains. However, it has been proposed that language shares basic sensorimotor features with non-linguistic cognition at the representational level. The present paper investigates whether processing principles are also shared between linguistic and non-linguistic cognition; specifically, it is investigated whether the N400 is sensitive to global and local manipulations of violation probability as previously reported for markers of non-linguistic conflict detection. In Experiment 1, the global violation probability was manipulated. Here, N400 amplitude was reduced in high violation probability blocks compared to low violation probability blocks. In Experiment 2, N400 amplitude was analysed according to local trial sequence. Here, the N400 amplitude difference between correct and violated sentences was reduced when the preceding trial was a violation compared to a correct trial. The implication of these findings for the architecture of our cognitive system is discussed.
More Related Videos
12:00Investigating the Effects of Antipsychotics and Schizotypy on the N400 Using Event-Related Potentials and Semantic Categorization
Published on: November 19, 2014
05:38Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology
Published on: June 29, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Language and Cognition
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Reason and Intuition
Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior
Cognitivism
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
