Sentential Contextual Facilitation of Auditory Word Processing Builds Up during Sentence Tracking

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Psycholinguistics

Background:

• Auditory processing exhibits word-to-word variations, with faster processing near sentence endings.
• The origin of these dynamics, whether bottom-up or top-down, remains unclear.
• Predictive coding models suggest context influences perception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if sentential context predictions drive auditory word-processing dynamics.
• To determine if these dynamics originate from top-down predictions during sentence tracking.
• To examine the role of attention in context-driven auditory processing.

Main Methods:

• Presented participants with predictable (sentences) and unpredictable (random words) auditory stimuli.
• Used 42-Hz amplitude-modulated speech and a 25-Hz distractor tone.
• Recorded reaction times (RTs) and frequency-tagged neuroelectric responses (auditory steady-state responses).
• Quantified context effects while controlling for word-level factors.

Main Results:

• Sentential context accelerated RTs and enhanced auditory steady-state responses for later words.
• These top-down dynamics were observed only when attention was directed to the speech.
• The effects did not transfer to the processing of a concurrent distractor tone.

Conclusions:

• Auditory word-processing dynamics during sentence tracking stem from sentential predictions.
• These predictions are attention-dependent.
• Contextual predictions selectively impact the processing of attended speech, not concurrent auditory streams.