Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Parallel Processing01:20

Parallel Processing

157
The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...
157
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

884
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
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...
884
Reason and Intuition01:37

Reason and Intuition

6.5K
The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the...
6.5K
Encoding01:19

Encoding

177
Information enters the brain through encoding, which is the input of information into the memory system. Once sensory information is received from the environment, the brain labels or codes it. The information is then organized with similar information and connected to existing concepts. Encoding occurs through automatic processing and effortful processing.
Automatic processing involves the encoding of details like time, space, frequency, and the meaning of words, usually done without conscious...
177
Functional Brain Systems: Reticular Formation01:13

Functional Brain Systems: Reticular Formation

2.0K
The reticular formation is a complex network of gray and white matter located within the brainstem extending from the medulla to the midbrain.
Within the reticular formation, there are several distinct nuclei that can be classified into three broad categories. The Raphe nuclei are located along the midline of the brainstem. They are primarily known for their role in synthesizing and releasing serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in regulating mood, appetite, sleep, and circadian rhythms. The...
2.0K
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

353
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
353

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

What drives regressions in reading? Insights from surprisal and saliency from language models.

Cognition·2026
Same author

A confound-free method to manipulate pupil size in psychological experiments.

Psychonomic bulletin & review·2026
Same author

Age-related preservation of statistical learning in distractor suppression.

Psychology and aging·2025
Same author

On the spatial limits of parallel word processing in reading.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2025
Same author

40 Years of Cracking the Orthographic Code: A Special Issue in Honour of Jonathan Grainger's Career.

Journal of cognition·2024
Same author

Age-adapted painting descriptions change the viewing behavior of young visitors to the Rijksmuseum.

Scientific reports·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 11, 2025

Using Eye Movements to Evaluate the Cognitive Processes Involved in Text Comprehension
06:49

Using Eye Movements to Evaluate the Cognitive Processes Involved in Text Comprehension

Published on: January 10, 2014

27.3K

The reading brain extracts syntactic information from multiple words within 50 milliseconds.

Joshua Snell1

  • 1Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, the Netherlands.

Cognition
|November 10, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Readers process multiple words in parallel, extracting syntactic information rapidly. This study shows parallel processing of higher-order linguistic information, even with very brief word presentations.

Keywords:
Flanker paradigmParallel processingReadingSyntactic processingVisual word recognition

More Related Videos

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks
08:32

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks

Published on: September 5, 2019

5.7K
Dissociation of the Confounding Influences of Expectancy and Integrative Difficulty Residing in Anomalous Sentences in Event-related Potential Studies
05:22

Dissociation of the Confounding Influences of Expectancy and Integrative Difficulty Residing in Anomalous Sentences in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: May 9, 2019

5.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 11, 2025

Using Eye Movements to Evaluate the Cognitive Processes Involved in Text Comprehension
06:49

Using Eye Movements to Evaluate the Cognitive Processes Involved in Text Comprehension

Published on: January 10, 2014

27.3K
Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks
08:32

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks

Published on: September 5, 2019

5.7K
Dissociation of the Confounding Influences of Expectancy and Integrative Difficulty Residing in Anomalous Sentences in Event-related Potential Studies
05:22

Dissociation of the Confounding Influences of Expectancy and Integrative Difficulty Residing in Anomalous Sentences in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: May 9, 2019

5.4K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Parallel word processing is debated for higher-order linguistic information (lexical, semantic, syntactic).
  • Previous studies using the flanker paradigm showed syntactic influence from parafoveal words at 170 ms.
  • Concerns exist that brief presentations might still allow serial processing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the extent of parallel processing for higher-order linguistic information.
  • To determine if syntactic information is extracted from multiple words simultaneously.
  • To test parallel processing under very brief visual presentation conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Participants performed a syntactic categorization task.
  • Target and flanking words were presented for only 50 ms, followed by post-masks.
  • Response times and accuracy were measured to assess syntactic congruency effects.

Main Results:

  • Significant effects of target-flanker syntactic congruency were found.
  • Faster response times and higher accuracy indicated parallel processing.
  • These effects occurred within the extremely brief 50 ms presentation window.

Conclusions:

  • The brain extracts higher-order linguistic information from multiple words in parallel.
  • Parallel processing of syntactic information occurs rapidly, even under time constraints.
  • Findings challenge serial processing models for brief word exposures.