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Published on: November 30, 2018
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Language specificity in the processing of affirmative and negative sentences
Yingying Huang1, Jie Dong1, Yan He1
1Key Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience of Language.
Neuroreport
|February 10, 2022
Summary
Negative sentences activate brain regions involved in truth reversal, supporting the "truth reversing hypothesis". Language expression influences the neural processing of sentential negation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Understanding negative sentences involves reversing the truth of affirmative propositions, eliciting distinct neural responses.
- Previous neuroimaging studies show conflicting results across different languages, suggesting potential language specificity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the language specificity of processing affirmative and negative sentences.
- To explore the neural mechanisms underlying sentential negation in bilingual individuals.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to scan Chinese-English bilinguals.
- Participants performed a grammar judgment task involving matched affirmative and negative sentences.
Main Results:
- Negative sentences showed increased activation in the perisylvian region, supporting the truth reversing hypothesis.
- The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex was implicated in the truth-reversing process.
- Language-by-sentence interaction effects were observed in the inferior and rostral prefrontal cortex, indicating language-specific influences on negation.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the 'truth reversing hypothesis' for sentence comprehension.
- Neural mechanisms of sentential negation are influenced by distinct language expressions.
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