1
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Zhang Y, Chen S, Peng Y, Yang X. The concrete processing of Chinese action metaphors: an ERP study. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1362978. [PMID: 38638519 PMCID: PMC11025353 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1362978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The present research adopts ERP (Event-Related Potentials) technology to investigate whether there exists a concreteness effect in the processing of Chinese action verbs within metaphorical context. The mean amplitudes of N400 activated by action metaphors were compared with those activated by literal verbs and abstract verbs. The findings indicated that the Met verbs evoked a significantly larger N400 response at frontal brain region compared to the Abs verbs at a time window 200-500 ms, while the Met verbs elicited a notably greater N400 amplitude specifically at the posterior brain region in comparison to the Lit verbs at 300-500 ms time window. These results may be interpreted as indicating that the comprehension of the Met verbs is based on the concrete action semantics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shifa Chen
- College of Foreign Languages, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yule Peng
- College of Foreign Languages, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
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2
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Schumacher PB, Weiland-Breckle H, Reul G, Brilmayer I. Tracking meaning evolution in the brain: Processing consequences of conventionalization. Cognition 2023; 240:105598. [PMID: 37604027 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Language users employ creative and innovative means to refer to novel concepts. One example is place-for-event metonymy as in "How many bands played at Woodstock?" where the place name is used to refer to an event. We capitalize on the observation that place-for-event metonymy can on the one hand result in the conventionalization of the event reading (as is the case for "Woodstock") but on the other hand can also be relatively short-lived as a function of the socio-cultural or historical impact of the respective event (e.g., "Egypt" to refer to one of the sites of the Arab Spring). We use place-for-event metonymy as a test case to tap into discrete stages of conventionalization and compare the processing of the place and the event reading of particular expressions, with ratings of the degree of conventionalization as predictors. In an event-related potential (ERP) reading study, we observed a modulation of the Late Positivity between 500 and 750 ms post-onset by condition (event vs. place reading) and degree of conventionalization. The amplitude of the positivity was most pronounced for event readings with a low degree of conventionalization (similar to previous findings from ad-hoc metonymy). Interestingly, place readings with a high degree of (event) conventionalization also evoked a pronounced positivity. The Late Positivity is viewed to reflect processing demands during reconceptualization required for proper utterance interpretation. Overall, the data suggest that stages of meaning evolution are reflected in the underlying neurophysiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra B Schumacher
- Department of German Language and Literature I, Linguistics, University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, 50923 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Hanna Weiland-Breckle
- Department of German Language and Literature I, Linguistics, University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, 50923 Cologne, Germany; Center for Learning & Development, University of Applied Sciences, Nobelstraße 10, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Guendalina Reul
- Department of German Language and Literature I, Linguistics, University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, 50923 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Ingmar Brilmayer
- Department of German Language and Literature I, Linguistics, University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, 50923 Cologne, Germany.
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3
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Tonini E, Bischetti L, Del Sette P, Tosi E, Lecce S, Bambini V. The relationship between metaphor skills and Theory of Mind in middle childhood: Task and developmental effects. Cognition 2023; 238:105504. [PMID: 37354784 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Theoretical pragmatics in the post-Gricean tradition argued that metaphor requires understanding of how another person sees the world. Yet, it is unclear what role mindreading plays in developing metaphor skills. Here we examined the relationship between metaphor and Theory of Mind (ToM) in middle childhood by using two different tasks. In addition to the Physical and Mental Metaphors task (PMM), based on the verbal explanation of physical and mental metaphors, we revived the Referential Metaphors task for children (Noveck, Bianco, & Castry, 2001), where metaphorical and literal referents are presented in a narrative context. The sample included 169 8-, 9-, and 10-year-old children, assessed also for ToM (via the Strange Stories) and other linguistic and cognitive skills as control variables. In the PMM, ToM supported the understanding of mental (but not physical) metaphors in 9-year-olds only, whereas in the Referential Metaphors task ToM supported accuracy of understanding metaphors (but not literal items) in younger children as well. At age 10, ToM effects were negligible in both tasks. These findings suggest that ToM has a task-specific role in metaphor, linked to the characteristics of the items in the task at stake, being for instance greater for metaphors with mental (compared to physical) content and for non-literal (compared to literal) referents. The findings also suggest that the relationship between ToM and metaphor skills is developmental sensitive, as children start to capitalize on ToM earlier in development when the metaphor context is richer, and these effects fade with age. Theoretically, these data argue in favor of the relevance-theoretic account of metaphor, spelling out different ways in which ToM might support metaphor resolution across tasks, for instance by providing better access to the psychological lexicon (i.e., terms referring to mental states) and better context processing, serving as a springboard to achieve sophisticated pragmatic skills in middle childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Tonini
- Laboratory of Neurolinguistics and Experimental Pragmatics (NEP), Department of Humanities and Life Sciences, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Luca Bischetti
- Laboratory of Neurolinguistics and Experimental Pragmatics (NEP), Department of Humanities and Life Sciences, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paola Del Sette
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy
| | - Eleonora Tosi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy
| | - Serena Lecce
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy
| | - Valentina Bambini
- Laboratory of Neurolinguistics and Experimental Pragmatics (NEP), Department of Humanities and Life Sciences, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy..
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4
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Gibbs RW. Pragmatic complexity in metaphor interpretation. Cognition 2023; 237:105455. [PMID: 37058837 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
The main goal of verbal metaphor interpretation is traditionally believed to be the recovery of a context-sensitive metaphorical meaning. One focus of experimental studies is to assess when and how pragmatic information derived from context shapes the online processing of specific utterances as conveying metaphorical, but not literal, messages. My aim in this article is to raise several critical complications with these beliefs. People employ metaphorical language not just to convey metaphorical meanings, but to concretely achieve various social, pragmatic goals. I describe several pragmatic complexities in the ways verbal and non-verbal metaphors function in communication. These pragmatic complexities affect both the cognitive effort and effects which emerge from interpreting metaphors in discourse. This conclusion suggests the need for new experimental studies and for theories of metaphor to be more sensitive to the influence of complex pragmatic goals in online metaphor interpretation.
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Chutko LS, Surushkina SY, Yakovenko EA. [Disorders of social cognition in children]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2023; 123:34-40. [PMID: 36719117 DOI: 10.17116/jnevro202312301134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The article presents an overview of scientific publications devoted to the study of social cognition as a separate cognitive function and its role in the formation of normal mental development. Modern ideas about the « theory of mind « and its neurobiological foundations are considered. The results of studies of social competence in children with autism, specific language impairment, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and specific learning disorder are presented. The main neurocognitive deficits observed in violation of social cognition in children and the possibility of their pharmacological correction are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- L S Chutko
- N. Behtereva Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - S Yu Surushkina
- N. Behtereva Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - E A Yakovenko
- N. Behtereva Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
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Shen L, Li X, Huang S, Huang Y, Gao X, You Z, Mao Z, Tang X. Comprehending scientific metaphors in the bilingual brain: Evidence from event-related potentials. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1037525. [PMID: 36578691 PMCID: PMC9791987 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1037525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While the processing mechanisms of novel and conventional metaphors were widely investigated in previous monolingual studies, little attention has been devoted to how metaphoric utterances are processed by the bilingual brain as well as how scientific context might modulate such processes. Using event-related potentials (ERPs), this paper investigates the way in which scientific metaphors are electrophysiologically processed in Chinese (L1) and English (L2), with the aim of investigating the different mechanisms for understanding metaphorical language in first (L1) and second (L2) languages. By time-locking the N400 and later LPC time windows, the research show how meaning integration differs between L1 and L2 at different stages when comprehending figurative language. We found that compared with Chinese scientific metaphors, English scientific metaphors elicited greater N400, smaller late positive component (LPC), and greater late negativity, and English literals elicited greater late negativity. Our findings suggest that the dynamics of processing figurative meaning in bilingual brains over time show a complex pattern, with language, context, inference and salience jointly modulating temporal dynamics and possible cerebral asymmetries, supporting the revised hierarchical model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lexian Shen
- School of Foreign Studies, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China
| | - Xiaoguang Li
- School of Foreign Studies, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China
| | - Shaojuan Huang
- School of Foreign Studies, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China
| | - Yanhong Huang
- School of Foreign Studies, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China
| | - Xinyu Gao
- School of Foreign Studies, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China
| | - Ziqing You
- School of Foreign Studies, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China
| | | | - Xuemei Tang
- School of Foreign Studies, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China,*Correspondence: Xuemei Tang,
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Wang X. Normed dataset for novel metaphors, novel similes, literal and anomalous sentences in Chinese. Front Psychol 2022; 13:922722. [PMID: 36118442 PMCID: PMC9477117 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.922722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Canal P, Bischetti L, Bertini C, Ricci I, Lecce S, Bambini V. N400 differences between physical and mental metaphors: The role of Theories of Mind. Brain Cogn 2022; 161:105879. [PMID: 35777125 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2022.105879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Whether Theory of Mind (ToM) contributes to metaphor understanding has been largely investigated in language acquisition and decay. Yet we know very little about the role of ToM in real-time processing of metaphors in neurotypical adults. Here, we tested the relationship between ToM and metaphor through Event Related Potentials (ERPs) by capitalizing on the difference between metaphors inviting inferences on physical (Boxers are pandas) vs. mental aspects (Teachers are books). Physical metaphors involved a larger and sustained negativity compared to mental ones. This pattern resembled concreteness effects and suggests that physical metaphors may benefit from both verbal and perceptual information. Moreover, higher scores in the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), but not in the Animation task, were associated with a reduction of the N400 amplitude for both physical and mental metaphors. When exploring the ERP temporal trajectory with Generalized Additive Mixed Modeling, earlier differences between metaphors characterized individuals with higher RMET scores. Among the various ToM components, thus, emotion recognition seems to be involved in the processing of metaphors in general, with an earlier impact on the mental type. These findings highlight the multifaceted nature of metaphor, at the crossroad of language, social and perceptual experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Canal
- Department of Humanities and Life Sciences, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Luca Bischetti
- Department of Humanities and Life Sciences, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy
| | | | | | - Serena Lecce
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Valentina Bambini
- Department of Humanities and Life Sciences, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy.
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Sun L, Chen H, Zhang C, Cong F, Li X, Hämäläinen T. Decoding brain activities of literary metaphor comprehension: An event-related potential and EEG spectral analysis. Front Psychol 2022; 13:913521. [PMID: 35941953 PMCID: PMC9356233 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.913521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel metaphors in literary texts (hereinafter referred to as literary metaphors) seem to be more creative and open-ended in meaning than metaphors in non-literary texts (non-literary metaphors). However, some disagreement still exists on how literary metaphors differ from non-literary metaphors. Therefore, this study explored the neural mechanisms of literary metaphors extracted from modern Chinese poetry by using the methods of Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) and Event-Related Spectral Perturbations (ERSPs), as compared with non-literary conventional metaphors and literal expressions outside literary texts. Forty-eight subjects were recruited to make the semantic relatedness judgment after reading the prime-target pairs in three linguistic conditions. According to the ERPs results, the earliest differences were presented during the time window of P200 component (170–260 ms) in the frontal and central areas, with the amplitude of P200 for literary metaphors more positive than the other two conditions, reflecting the early allocation of attention and the early conscious experience of the experimental stimuli. Meanwhile, significant differences were presented during the time window of N400 effect (430–530 ms), with the waveform of literary metaphors more negative than others in the frontal and central topography of scalp distributions, suggesting more efforts in retrieving conceptual knowledge for literary metaphors. The ERSPs analysis revealed that the frequency bands of delta and theta were both involved in the cognitive process of literary metaphor comprehension, with delta band distributed in the frontal and central scalp and theta band in parietal and occipital electrodes. Increases in the two power bands during different time windows provided extra evidences that the processing of literary metaphors required more attention and effort than non-literary metaphors and literal expressions in the semantic related tasks, suggesting that the cognitive process of literary metaphors was distinguished by different EEG spectral patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Sun
- School of Foreign Languages, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
- Faculty of Information Technology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Hongjun Chen
- School of Foreign Languages, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
- *Correspondence: Hongjun Chen,
| | - Chi Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Fengyu Cong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Xueyan Li
- School of Foreign Languages, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Timo Hämäläinen
- Faculty of Information Technology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
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Koller S, Müller N, Kauschke C. The Elephant in the Room: A Systematic Review of Stimulus Control in Neuro-Measurement Studies on Figurative Language Processing. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 15:791374. [PMID: 35126074 PMCID: PMC8814624 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.791374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The processing of metaphors and idioms has been the subject of neuroscientific research for several decades. However, results are often contradictory, which can be traced back to inconsistent terminology and stimulus control. In this systematic review of research methods, we analyse linguistic aspects of 116 research papers which used EEG, fMRI, PET, MEG, or NIRS to investigate the neural processing of the two figurative subtypes metaphor and idiom. We critically examine the theoretical foundations as well as stimulus control by performing a systematic literature synthesis according to the PRISMA guidelines. We explicitly do not analyse the findings of the studies but instead focus on four primary aspects: definitions of figurative language and its subtypes, linguistic theory behind the studies, control for factors influencing figurative language processing, and the relationship between theoretical and operational definitions. We found both a lack and a broad variety in existing definitions and operationalisation, especially in regard to familiarity and conventionality. We identify severe obstacles in the comparability and validation potential of the results of the papers in our review corpus. We propose the development of a consensus in fundamental terminology and more transparency in the reporting of stimulus design in the research on figurative language processing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nadine Müller
- Department of German Studies and Arts, Institute of German Linguistics, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Rosen C, Harrow M, Tong L, Jobe T, Harrow H. A word is worth a thousand pictures: A 20-year comparative analysis of aberrant abstraction in schizophrenia, affective psychosis, and non-psychotic depression. Schizophr Res 2021; 238:1-9. [PMID: 34562832 PMCID: PMC8633069 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
thinking is a cognitive process that involves the assimilation of concepts reduced from diffuse sensory input, organized, and interpreted in a manner beyond the obvious. There are multiple facets by which abstraction is measured that include semantic, visual-spatial and social comprehension. This study examined the prevalence and course of abstract and concrete responses to semantic proverbs and aberrant abstraction (composite score of semantic, visual-spatial, and social comprehension) over 20 years in 352 participants diagnosed with schizophrenia, affective psychosis, and unipolar non-psychotic depression. We utilized linear models, two-way ANOVA and contrasts to compare groups and change over time. Linear models with Generalized Estimation Equation (GEE) to determine association. Our findings show that regardless of diagnosis, semantic proverb interpretation improves over time. Participants with schizophrenia give more concrete responses to proverbs when compared to affective psychosis and unipolar depressed without psychosis. We also show that the underlying structure of concretism encompasses increased conceptual overinclusion at index hospitalization and idiosyncratic associations at follow-up; whereas, abstract thinking overtime encompasses increased visual-spatial abstraction at index and rich associations with increased social comprehension scores at follow-up. Regardless of diagnosis, premorbid functioning, descriptive characteristics, and IQ were not associated with aberrant abstraction. Delusions are highly and positively related to aberrant abstraction scores, while hallucinations are mildly and positively related to this score. Lastly, our data point to the importance of examining the underlying interconnected structures of 'established' constructs vis-à-vis mixed methods to provide a description of the rich interior world that may not always map onto current quantitative measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherise Rosen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Martin Harrow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Liping Tong
- Advocate Aurora Health, Downers Grove, IL, USA
| | - Tom Jobe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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12
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The more you know: Schema-congruency supports associative encoding of novel compound words. Evidence from event-related potentials. Brain Cogn 2021; 155:105813. [PMID: 34773860 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2021.105813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We aimed to investigate the neurocognitive mechanisms of event congruency with prior (schema) knowledge for the learning of novel compound words. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during an incidental learning task, in which novel noun-noun compounds were presented in a semantically congruent context, enabling schema-supported processing, or in a neutral context. As expected, associative memory performance was better for compounds preceded by a congruent context. Although the N400 was attenuated in the congruent condition, subsequent memory effects (SMEs) in the N400 time interval did not differ across conditions, suggesting that the processes reflected in the N400 cannot account for the memory advantage in the congruent condition. However, a parietal SME was obtained for compounds preceded by a congruent context, only, which we interpret as reflecting the schema-supported formation of a conceptual compound representation. A late frontal SME was obtained in both conditions, presumably reflecting the more general inter-item associative encoding of compound constituents.
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Yoon HD, Shin M, Jeon HA. The critical role of interference control in metaphor comprehension evidenced by the drift-diffusion model. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19292. [PMID: 34588490 PMCID: PMC8481255 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98351-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We address the question of, among several executive functions, which one has a strong influence on metaphor comprehension. To this end, participants took part in a metaphor comprehension task where metaphors had varying levels of familiarity (familiar vs. novel metaphors) with different conditions of context (supporting vs. opposing contexts). We scrutinized each participant's detailed executive functions using seven neuropsychological tests. More interestingly, we modelled their responses in metaphor comprehension using the drift-diffusion model, in an attempt to provide more systematic accounts of the processes underlying metaphor comprehension. Results showed that there were significant negative correlations between response times in metaphor comprehension and scores of the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT)-Semantic, suggesting that better performances in comprehending metaphors were strongly associated with better interference control. Using the drift-diffusion model, we found that the familiarity, compared to context, had greater leverage in the decision process for metaphor comprehension. Moreover, individuals with better performance in the COWAT-Semantic test demonstrated higher drift rates. In conclusion, with more fine-grained analysis of the decisions involved in metaphor comprehension using the drift-diffusion model, we argue that interference control plays an important role in processing metaphors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee-Dong Yoon
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, Korea
- Convergence Research Advance Center for Olfaction, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, Korea
| | - Minho Shin
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, Korea
| | - Hyeon-Ae Jeon
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, Korea.
- Convergence Research Advance Center for Olfaction, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, Korea.
- Partner Group of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences at the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, DGIST, Daegu, Korea.
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Adamczyk P, Jáni M, Ligeza TS, Płonka O, Błądziński P, Wyczesany M. On the Role of Bilateral Brain Hypofunction and Abnormal Lateralization of Cortical Information Flow as Neural Underpinnings of Conventional Metaphor Processing Impairment in Schizophrenia: An fMRI and EEG Study. Brain Topogr 2021; 34:537-554. [PMID: 33973137 PMCID: PMC8195899 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-021-00849-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Figurative language processing (e.g. metaphors) is commonly impaired in schizophrenia. In the present study, we investigated the neural activity and propagation of information within neural circuits related to the figurative speech, as a neural substrate of impaired conventional metaphor processing in schizophrenia. The study included 30 schizophrenia outpatients and 30 healthy controls, all of whom were assessed with a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) punchline-based metaphor comprehension task including literal (neutral), figurative (metaphorical) and nonsense (absurd) endings. The blood oxygenation level-dependent signal was recorded with 3T MRI scanner and direction and strength of cortical information flow in the time course of task processing was estimated with a 64-channel EEG input for directed transfer function. The presented results revealed that the behavioral manifestation of impaired figurative language in schizophrenia is related to the hypofunction in the bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal brain regions (fMRI) and various differences in effective connectivity in the fronto-temporo-parietal circuit (EEG). Schizophrenia outpatients showed an abnormal pattern of connectivity during metaphor processing which was related to bilateral (but more pronounced at the left hemisphere) hypoactivation of the brain. Moreover, we found reversed lateralization patterns, i.e. a rightward-shifted pattern during metaphor processing in schizophrenia compared to the control group. In conclusion, the presented findings revealed that the impairment of the conventional metaphor processing in schizophrenia is related to the bilateral brain hypofunction, which supports the evidence on reversed lateralization of the language neural network and the existence of compensatory recruitment of alternative neural circuits in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Przemysław Adamczyk
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Martin Jáni
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland.,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomasz S Ligeza
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland
| | - Olga Płonka
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Błądziński
- Community Psychiatry and Psychosis Research Center, Chair of Psychiatry, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Miroslaw Wyczesany
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060, Kraków, Poland
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15
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Mariana B, Carolina L, Valeria A, Bautista EA, Silvia K, Lucía AF. Functional anatomy of idiomatic expressions. Brain Topogr 2021; 34:489-503. [PMID: 33948754 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-021-00843-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Idiomatic expressions (IE) are groups of words whose meaning is different from the sum of its components. Neural mechanisms underlying their processing are still debated, especially regarding lateralization, main structures involved, and whether this neural network is independent from the spoken language. To investigate the neural correlates of IE processing in healthy Spanish speakers.Twenty one native speakers of Spanish were asked to select one of 4 possible meanings for IE or literal sentences. fMRI scans were performed in a 3.0T scanner and processed by SPM 12 comparing IE vs. literal sentences. Laterality indices were calculated at the group level. IE activated a bilateral, slightly right-sided network comprising the pars triangularis and areas 9 and 10. In the left hemisphere (LH): the pars orbitalis, superior frontal, angular and fusiform gyrus. In the right hemisphere (RH): anterior insula, middle frontal, and superior temporal gyrus. This network reveals the importance of the RH, besides traditional LH areas, to comprehend IE. This agrees with the semantic coding model: the LH activates narrow semantic fields choosing one single meaning and ignoring others, and the RH detects distant semantic relationships, activating diffuse semantic fields. It is also in line with the configuration hypothesis: both meanings, literal and figurative, are executed simultaneously, until the literal meaning is definitively rejected and the figurative one is accepted. Processing IE requires the activation of fronto-temporal networks in both hemispheres. The results concur with previous studies in other languages, so these networks are independent from the spoken language. Understanding these mechanisms sheds light on IE processing difficulties in different clinical populations and must be considered when planning resective surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bendersky Mariana
- Living Anatomy Laboratory, 3rd Normal Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, Paraguay 2155, Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Lomlomdjian Carolina
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Department of Neurology, Hospital Austral, Pilar, Argentina
| | - Abusamra Valeria
- School of Philosophy and Literature, National Scientific and Technical Research Council-Argentina (CONICET), Buenos Aires University, Puan 480, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Elizalde Acevedo Bautista
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Biomedical Science, Austral University, Mariano Acosta 1611, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,IIMT (Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional), CONICET-Austral University, Derqui-Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kochen Silvia
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alba-Ferrara Lucía
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Biomedical Science, Austral University, Mariano Acosta 1611, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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16
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Deckert M, Schmoeger M, Geist M, Wertgen S, Willinger U. Electrophysiological correlates of conventional metaphor, irony, and literal language processing - An event-related potentials and eLORETA study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 215:104930. [PMID: 33631658 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.104930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Conventional metaphor, irony, and literal language processing were compared. Thirty right-handed participants (21-34 years) performed a sequential-statement ERP-paradigm. A left-frontal Late Anterior Negative Slow Wave (LANSW, 450-1000 ms) was significantly greater for metaphors and by visual tendency greater for irony, compared to literal statements. A centroparietal N400 (300-450 ms) and a centroparietal right-dominant "Late N400" (450-600 ms) were by statistical and visual tendency greater for metaphors. Left PCC and left lingual gyrus activity was significantly higher in metaphors compared to literal statements (eLORETA; 450-1000 ms). A statistical trend indicated higher parahippocampal gyrus activity in metaphors and ironies. N400 results are discussed considering changing processing techniques and a renewed semantic conflict. The Late N400 was associated with the construct of "associativeness". The LANSW was related to metaphorical mapping, frame-shifting processes, integration of meanings, and memory processes. eLORETA results were discussed considering metaphorical mapping, creation of mental images, conventionality, valence, memory processes, and divergent thinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Deckert
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Michaela Schmoeger
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Max Geist
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Sarah Wertgen
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ulrike Willinger
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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17
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Abstract
Figurative expressions have been shown to play a special role in evoking affective responses, as compared to their literal counterparts. This study provides the first database of conceptual metaphors that includes ratings of affective properties beyond psycholinguistic properties. To allow for the investigation of natural reading processes, 64 natural stories were created, half of which contained two or three conceptual metaphors that relied on the same mapping, whereas the other half contained the metaphors' literal counterparts. To allow for tighter control and manipulation of the different properties, 120 isolated sentences were also created, half of which contained one metaphorical word, which was replaced by its literal rendering in the other half. All stimuli were rated for emotional valence, arousal, imageability, and metaphoricity, and the pairs of metaphorical and literal stimuli were rated for their similarity in meaning. A measure of complexity was determined and computed. The stories were also rated for naturalness and understandability, and the sentences for familiarity. Differences between the metaphorical and literal stimuli and relationships between the affective and psycholinguistic variables were explored and are discussed in light of extant empirical research. In a nutshell, the metaphorical stimuli were rated as being higher in emotional arousal and easier to imagine than their literal counterparts, thus confirming a role of metaphor in evoking emotion and in activating sensorimotor representations. Affective variables showed the typical U-shaped relationship consistently found in word databases, whereby increasingly positive and negative valence is associated with higher arousal. Finally, interesting differences between the stories and sentences were observed.
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18
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Li X, Pesonen J, Haimi E, Wang H, Astikainen P. Electrical brain activity and facial electromyography responses to irony in dysphoric and non-dysphoric participants. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2020; 211:104861. [PMID: 33045478 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We studied irony comprehension and emotional reactions to irony in dysphoric and control participants. Electroencephalography (EEG) and facial electromyography (EMG) were measured when spoken conversations were presented with pictures that provided either congruent (non-ironic) or incongruent (ironic) contexts. In a separate session, participants evaluated the congruency and valence of the stimuli. While both groups rated ironic stimuli funnier than non-ironic stimuli, the control group rated all the stimuli funnier than the dysphoric group. N400-like activity, P600, and EMG activity indicating smiling were larger after the ironic stimuli than the non-ironic stimuli for both groups. Further, in the dysphoric group the irony modulation was evident in the electrode cluster over the right hemisphere, while no such difference in lateralization was observed in the control group. The results suggest a depression-related alteration in the P600 response associated to irony comprehension, but no alterations were found in emotional reactivity specifically related to irony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqiao Li
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, FIN-40100 Jyväskylä, Finland.
| | - Janne Pesonen
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, FIN-40100 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Elina Haimi
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, FIN-40100 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Huili Wang
- School of Foreign Languages, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Piia Astikainen
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, FIN-40100 Jyväskylä, Finland
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19
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Yurchenko A, Lopukhina A, Dragoy O. Metaphor Is Between Metonymy and Homonymy: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials. Front Psychol 2020; 11:2113. [PMID: 32982863 PMCID: PMC7490628 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of the present study was to investigate the interaction between different senses of polysemous nouns (metonymies and metaphors) and different meanings of homonyms using the method of event-related potentials (ERPs) and a priming paradigm. Participants read two-word phrases containing ambiguous words and made a sensicality judgment. Phrases with polysemes highlighted their literal sense and were preceded by primes with either the same or different – metonymic or metaphorical – sense. Similarly, phrases with homonyms were primed by phrases with a consistent or inconsistent meaning of the noun. The results demonstrated that polysemous phrases with literal senses preceded by metonymic primes did not differ in ERP responses from the control condition with the same literal primes. In contrast, processing phrases with the literal sense preceded by metaphorical primes resulted in N400 and P600 effects that might reflect a very limited priming effect. The priming effect observed between metonymic and literal senses supports the idea that these senses share a single representation in the mental lexicon. In contrast, the effects observed for polysemes with metaphorical primes characterize lexical access to the word’s target sense and competition between the two word senses. The processing of homonyms preceded by the prime with an inconsistent meaning, although it did not elicit an N400 effect, was accompanied by a P600 effect as compared to the control condition with a consistent meaning of the prime. We suppose that the absence of the N400 effect may result from inhibition of the target meaning by the inconsistent prime, whereas the P600 response might reflect processes of reanalysis, activation, and integration of the target meaning. Our results provide additional evidence for the difference in processing mechanisms between metonymies and metaphors that might have separate representations in the mental lexicon, although they are more related as compared to homonyms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Yurchenko
- Center for Language and Brain, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia.,Epilepsy Center, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasiya Lopukhina
- Center for Language and Brain, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia.,Vinogradov Institute of the Russian Language, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Dragoy
- Center for Language and Brain, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia.,Federal Center for Cerebrovascular Pathology and Stroke, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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20
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Jończyk R, Kremer GE, Siddique Z, van Hell JG. Engineering creativity: Prior experience modulates electrophysiological responses to novel metaphors. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13630. [PMID: 32672842 PMCID: PMC7540055 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Novel metaphorical language use exemplifies human creativity through production and comprehension of meaningful linguistic expressions that may have never been heard before. Available electrophysiological research demonstrates, however, that novel metaphor comprehension is cognitively costly, as it requires integrating information from distantly related concepts. Herein, we investigate if such cognitive cost may be reduced as a factor of prior domain knowledge. To this end, we asked engineering and nonengineering students to read for comprehension literal, novel metaphorical, and anomalous sentences related to engineering or general knowledge, while undergoing EEG recording. Upon reading each sentence, participants were asked to judge whether or not the sentence was original in meaning (novelty judgment) and whether or not it made sense (sensicality judgment). When collapsed across groups, our findings demonstrate a gradual N400 modulation with N400 being maximal in response to anomalous, followed by metaphorical, and literal sentences. Between‐group comparisons revealed a mirror effect on the N400 to novel metaphorical sentences, with attenuated N400 in engineers and enhanced N400 in non‐engineers. Critically, planned comparisons demonstrated reduced N400 amplitudes to engineering novel metaphors in engineers relative to non‐engineers, pointing to an effect of prior knowledge on metaphor processing. This reduction, however, was observed in the absence of a sentence type × knowledge × group interaction. Altogether, our study provides novel evidence suggesting that prior domain knowledge may have a direct impact on creative language comprehension. This study provides novel evidence that prior knowledge facilitates interpretation of novel metaphorical sentences, an index of linguistic creativity. As such, this study contributes to, and bridges, the fields of figurative language processing and creativity research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafal Jończyk
- Faculty of English, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland.,Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Gül E Kremer
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Zahed Siddique
- The School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Janet G van Hell
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
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21
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García-Madariaga J, Moya I, Recuero N, Blasco MF. Revealing Unconscious Consumer Reactions to Advertisements That Include Visual Metaphors. A Neurophysiological Experiment. Front Psychol 2020; 11:760. [PMID: 32477206 PMCID: PMC7235424 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The main challenge of advertising is to catch consumers' attention and evoke in them positive attitudes to consequently achieve product preference and higher purchase intentions. In modern advertising, visual metaphors are widely used due to their effects such as improving advertising recall, enhancing persuasiveness, and generating consumers' positive attitudes. Previous research has pointed out the existence of an "inverted U-curve" that describes a positive relationship between the conceptual complexity of metaphors and consumers' positive reactions to them, which ends where complexity outweighs comprehension. Despite the dominance of visual metaphors in modern advertising, academic research on this topic has been relatively sparse. The inverted U-curve pattern has been validated regarding ad appreciation, ad liking, and purchase intention by using declarative methods. However, at present, there is no evidence of consumers' neurophysiological responses to visual metaphors included in advertising. Given this gap, the aim of this research is to assess consumer neurophysiological responses to print advertisements that include visual metaphors, using neuroscience-based techniques. Forty-three participants (22W-21M) were exposed to 28 stimuli according to three levels of visual complexity, while their reactions were recorded with an electroencephalogram (EEG), eye tracking (ET), and galvanic skin response (GSR). The results indicated that, regardless of metaphor type, ads with metaphors evoke more positive reactions than non-metaphor ads. EEG results revealed a positive relationship between cognitive load and conceptual complexity that is not mediated by comprehension. This suggests that the cognitive load index could be a suitable indicator of complexity, as it reflects the amount of cognitive resources needed to process stimuli. ET results showed significant differences in the time dedicated to exploring the ads; however, comprehension doesn't mediate this relationship. Moreover, no cognitive load was detected from GSR. ET and GSR results suggest that neither methodology is a suitable measure of cognitive load in the case of visual metaphors. Instead, it seems that they are more related to the attention and/or emotion devoted to the stimuli. Our empirical analysis reveals the importance of using neurophysiological measures to analyze the appropriate use of visual metaphors and to find out how to maximize their impact on advertising effectiveness.
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22
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Carrol G, Littlemore J. Resolving Figurative Expressions During Reading: The Role of Familiarity, Transparency, and Context. DISCOURSE PROCESSES 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/0163853x.2020.1729041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Carrol
- Department of English Language and Linguistics, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jeannette Littlemore
- Department of English Language and Linguistics, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
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23
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Metaphorical language processing and amygdala activation in L1 and L2. Neuropsychologia 2020; 140:107381. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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24
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Manfredi M, Proverbio AM, Sanchez Mello de Pinho P, Ribeiro B, Comfort WE, Murrins Marques L, Boggio PS. Electrophysiological indexes of ToM and non-ToM humor in healthy adults. Exp Brain Res 2020; 238:789-805. [PMID: 32107576 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05753-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The cognitive processes involved in humor comprehension were analyzed by directly comparing the time course of brain activity associated with the perception of slapstick humor and that associated with the comprehension of humor requiring theory of mind (ToM). Four different comic strips (strips containing humorous scenes that required ToM, non-ToM humorous strips, non-humorous semantically coherent strips and non-humorous semantically incoherent strips) were presented to participants, while their EEG response was recorded. Results showed that both of the humorous comic strips and the semantically incongruent strip elicited an N400 effect, suggesting similar cognitive mechanisms underlying the processing of incongruent and humorous comic strips. The results also showed that the humorous ToM strips elicited a frontal late positive (LP) response, possibly reflecting the active deployment of ToM abilities such as perspective-taking and empathy that allow for the resolution and interpretation of apparently incongruent situations. In addition, the LP response was positively correlated with ratings of perceived amusement as well as individual empathy scores, suggesting that the increased LP response to ToM humorous strips reflects the combined activation of neural mechanisms involved in the experience of amusement and ToM abilities. Overall, humor comprehension appears to demand distinct cognitive steps such as the detection of incongruent semantic components, the construction of semantic coherence, and the appreciation of humoristic elements such as maladaptive emotional reactions. Our results show that the deployment of these distinct cognitive steps is at least partially dependent on individual empathic abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirella Manfredi
- Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Center for Health and Biological Sciences, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. .,Developmental Psychology: Infancy and Childhood, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | | | - Pamella Sanchez Mello de Pinho
- Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Center for Health and Biological Sciences, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Ribeiro
- Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Center for Health and Biological Sciences, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - William Edgar Comfort
- Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Center for Health and Biological Sciences, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucas Murrins Marques
- Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Center for Health and Biological Sciences, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo Sérgio Boggio
- Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Center for Health and Biological Sciences, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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25
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Borelli E, Cacciari C. The Comprehension of Metaphorical Descriptions Conveying Gender Stereotypes. An Exploratory Study. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2615. [PMID: 31824386 PMCID: PMC6882934 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In this adjective elicitation study, we investigated the comprehension of Italian sentences where a metaphorically intended noun (e.g., butterfly, nightmare) was used to describe a gender-stereotyped or stereotype-neutral individual (e.g., flute player, engineer, person). Specifically, we explored whether and to what extent meaning availability and the affective valence of these metaphorical descriptions (e.g., This flute player is a butterfly) varied as a function of the stereotypical or stereotype-neutral nature of the sentential subject, the male vs. female direction of the stereotype, and the grammatical gender marked in the subject noun phrase. Our goals were to test whether the meaning of metaphorical descriptions was equally available regardless of the presence and direction of the gender stereotype and of the grammatical gender of the subject, and whether the adjectives expressing the sentential meaning had the same affective valence no matter who was the subject. The results showed that it was easier (i.e., more adjectives came up to mind) to express the sentence meaning when the sentences described male stereotyped individuals than female stereotyped or stereotype-neutral individuals. The adjective valence did not significantly change according to the subject type. Participants produced adjectives with the wrong grammatical gender more often for males in stereotypically female occupations than for females in stereotypically male occupations. These gender errors occurred also when the sentences described females engaged in stereotypically female occupations. Overall, these results extend to metaphorical descriptions previous findings showing that a social group (males) is seen as more normative than another (females), and acts as the unmarked normative group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Borelli
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Cristina Cacciari
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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26
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Li S, Chen S, Zhang H, Zhao Q, Zhou Z, Huang F, Sui D, Wang F, Hong J. Dynamic cognitive processes of text-picture integration revealed by event-related potentials. Brain Res 2019; 1726:146513. [PMID: 31669828 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The integration of text and picture is the core of multimedia information processing. Relevant theories suggest that text and picture are processed through different channels in the early stage, and integrated in the late stage of processing. Based on these theories, the current study adopted measures of event-related potentials to examine the cognitive and neural processes of text-picture integration. The results showed that in the early stage of text-picture integration, picture processing evoked a more negative N1 over the occipital area and a N300 over the prefrontal area, which might reflect the discrimination process of visual stimuli and the imagery representation of the picture, respectively; in the late stage, the text-picture induced a N400 in the central area and an LPC over the central, parietal and temporal areas, which might be associated with the semantic activation and integration of text and picture, respectively. These results not only provide support for existing theories, but also further elucidate the dynamic neural processing of text-picture integration in terms of its temporal and spatial characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songqing Li
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province, School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Shi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province, School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Hongpo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province, School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Qingbai Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province, School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
| | - Zhijin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province, School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
| | - Furong Huang
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China.
| | - Danni Sui
- School of Foreign Languages, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China
| | - Fuxing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province, School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Jianzhong Hong
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province, School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
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27
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Canal P, Bischetti L, Di Paola S, Bertini C, Ricci I, Bambini V. ‘Honey, shall I change the baby? – Well done, choose another one’: ERP and time-frequency correlates of humor processing. Brain Cogn 2019; 132:41-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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28
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Kulkova ES, Fischer MH. Idioms in the World: A Focus on Processing. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1155. [PMID: 31178789 PMCID: PMC6543904 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elena S. Kulkova
- *Correspondence: Elena S. Kulkova ; orcid.org/0000-0002-2145-8956
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29
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Liu M, König P, Mueller JL. Novel ERP Evidence for Processing Differences Between Negative and Positive Polarity Items in German. Front Psychol 2019; 10:376. [PMID: 30894822 PMCID: PMC6414433 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
One unresolved question about polarity sensitivity in theoretical linguistics concerns whether and to what extent negative and positive polarity items are parallel. Using event-related brain potentials (ERPs), previous studies found N400 and/or P600 components for negative and positive polarity violations with inconsistent results. We report on an ERP study of German polarity items. Both negative and positive polarity violations elicited biphasic N400/P600 effects relative to correct polarity conditions. Furthermore, negative polarity violations elicited a P600-only effect relative to positive polarity violations. The lack of a graded N400 effect indicates that both kinds of violations involve similar semantic processing costs. We attribute the increase in P600 amplitude of negative polarity violations relative to positive polarity violations to their different nature: the former are syntactic anomalies triggering structural reanalysis, whereas the latter are pragmatic oddities inducing discourse reanalysis. We conclude that negative and positive polarity violations involve at least partly distinct mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingya Liu
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Peter König
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jutta L. Mueller
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
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Reilly M, Howerton O, Desai RH. Time-Course of Motor Involvement in Literal and Metaphoric Action Sentence Processing: A TMS Study. Front Psychol 2019; 10:371. [PMID: 30863346 PMCID: PMC6399124 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There is evidence that the motor cortex is involved in reading sentences containing an action verb ("The spike was hammered into the ground") as well as metaphoric sentences ("The army was hammered in the battle"). Verbs such as 'hammered' may be homonyms, with separate meanings belonging to the literal action and metaphoric action, or they may be polysemous, with the metaphoric sense grounded in the literal sense. We investigated the time course of the effects of single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to primary motor cortex on literal and metaphoric sentence comprehension. Stimulation 300 ms post-verb presentation impaired comprehension of both literal and metaphoric sentences, supporting a causal role of sensory-motor areas in comprehension. Results suggest that the literal meaning of an action verb remains activated during metaphor comprehension, even after the temporal window of homonym disambiguation. This suggests that such verbs are polysemous, and both senses are related and grounded in motor cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Reilly
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Olivia Howerton
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Rutvik H. Desai
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
- Institute for Mind and Brain, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
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Ervas F, Ledda A, Ojha A, Pierro GA, Indurkhya B. Creative Argumentation: When and Why People Commit the Metaphoric Fallacy. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1815. [PMID: 30319510 PMCID: PMC6168032 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This article aims to understand when and why people accept fallacious arguments featuring metaphors (metaphoric fallacy) as sound arguments. Two experiments were designed to investigate, respectively, when and why participants fell into the metaphoric fallacy. In the first experiment, participants were provided with a series of syllogisms, presented in natural language, containing in their first premise either a lexically ambiguous, literal middle term or a metaphorical middle term, i.e. the term that "bridges" the first premise with the second premise, and ending with a true, false or plausible conclusion. For each argument they were asked to evaluate whether the conclusion followed from the premises. Results show that the metaphoric fallacy is harder to detect in case of arguments with plausible conclusion with a conventional metaphor rather than a novel metaphor as middle term. The second experiment investigated why participants considered the metaphoric fallacy with plausible conclusion as a strong argument. Results suggest that participants' belief in the conclusion of the argument, independent from the premises, is a predictor for committing the metaphoric fallacy. We argue that a creative search for alternative reasons justifies participants' falling into the metaphoric fallacy, especially when the framing effect of a metaphor covertly influences the overall reading of the argument. Thus, far from being a source of irrationality, metaphors might elicit a different style of reasoning in argumentation, forcing participants to find an alternative interpretation of the premises that guarantees the believed conclusion. In this process, conventional metaphors are revitalized and extended through the second premise to the conclusion, thereby entailing an overall metaphorical reading of the argument.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Ervas
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Antonio Ledda
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Amitash Ojha
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | | | - Bipin Indurkhya
- Department of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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Wang X, Zheng W, Zhao L, Liu Y, Huang B, Zhang JX. The Role of Context in Processing Chinese Three-Character Verb-Object Metaphors: An Event-Related Potential Study. Psychol Rep 2018; 122:1327-1348. [PMID: 29914342 DOI: 10.1177/0033294118779929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Whether and how context plays a role in metaphor processing remains a controversial issue. One major theory on metaphor comprehension, the graded salience hypothesis (GSH) model, emphasizes salience as the key factor determining the precedence of semantic access. Using event-related potential technique, the present study examined Chinese metaphors to investigate whether the salient meaning is always processed first regardless of context. The experiment employed a Prime-Target-Probe paradigm. Three-character Chinese verb-object metaphors were used as the Target proceeded by one of the three contexts (the Prime): (1) metaphorical context priming the Target's metaphorical meaning, (2) literal context priming the Target's literal meaning, and (3) irrelevant context as the control condition. The Target was then followed by the Probe, which was always related to the Target (except in the filler condition). Forty participants were asked to judge whether the Target and the following Probe were semantically related. The N400 elicited by the Target showed no contextual effect. The N400 amplitude elicited by the Probe was smaller in the metaphorical priming condition compared with the literal priming condition, while the N400 in the irrelevant control condition was between the other two conditions, demonstrating a clear context effect. In addition, an unexpected P240 component also showed the similar graded pattern. Our results mostly support the GSH model, indicating that the salient meaning invariantly gets activated first before the activation of the nonsalient meaning at the lexical access stage. However, context does play a role in a parallel way either facilitating or suppressing this interpretation in the latter meaning integration stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Wang
- School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; School of Foreign Language Studies, Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang University, Ningbo, China; School of Humanities and Communication Arts, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Binyao Huang
- School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - John X Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Bambini V, Canal P, Resta D, Grimaldi M. Time Course and Neurophysiological Underpinnings of Metaphor in Literary Context. DISCOURSE PROCESSES 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/0163853x.2017.1401876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Bambini
- Center for Neurocognition and Theoretical Syntax (NeTS), University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paolo Canal
- Laboratorio di Linguistica “G. Nencioni”, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy
| | - Donatella Resta
- Centro di Ricerca Interdisciplinare sul Linguaggio, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Mirko Grimaldi
- Centro di Ricerca Interdisciplinare sul Linguaggio, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
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Regel S, Gunter TC. Don't Get Me Wrong: ERP Evidence from Cueing Communicative Intentions. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1465. [PMID: 28955258 PMCID: PMC5600996 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
How to make sure that one’s utterances are understood as intended when not facing each other? In order to convey communicative intentions, in digital communication emoticons and pragmatic cues are frequently used. Such cueing becomes even more crucial for implied interpretations (e.g., irony) that cannot be understood literally, but require extra information. Sentences, such as ‘That’s fantastic,’ may achieve either a literal or ironic meaning depending on the contextual constraints. In two experiments using event-related brain potentials (ERPs), we examined the effects of cueing communicative intentions (i.e., by means of quotation marks) on ironic and literal language comprehension. An impact of cueing on language processing was seen as early as 200 ms post-stimulus onset by the emergence of a P300 preceding a sustained positivity for cued irony relative to literal language, while for uncued irony a P200-P600 pattern was obtained. In presence of additional information for ironic intentions, pragmatic reanalysis allowing inferences on the message level may have occured immediately. Moreover, by examining the way of cueing (i.e., ambiguous vs. unambiguous cueing) this type of information for communicative intentions appeared to be only effective when the cues were unambiguous by matching pragmatic conventions. The findings suggest that cueing communicative intentions may immediately affect language comprehension, albeit depending on pragmatic conventions of the cues’ usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Regel
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany.,Department of Neurocognitive Psychology, Humboldt University of BerlinBerlin, Germany
| | - Thomas C Gunter
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany
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Cosentino E, Baggio G, Kontinen J, Werning M. The Time-Course of Sentence Meaning Composition. N400 Effects of the Interaction between Context-Induced and Lexically Stored Affordances. Front Psychol 2017; 8:813. [PMID: 28603506 PMCID: PMC5445161 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Contemporary semantic theories can be classified along two dimensions: (i) the way and time-course in which contextual factors influence sentence truth-conditions; and (ii) whether and to what extent comprehension involves sensory, motor and emotional processes. In order to explore this theoretical space, our ERP study investigates the time-course of the interaction between the lexically specified telic component of a noun (the function of the object to which the noun refers to, e.g., a funnel is generally used to pour liquids into containers) and an ad-hoc affordance contextually induced by the situation described in the discourse. We found that, if preceded by a neutral discourse context, a verb incongruent with the noun's telic component as in “She uses the funnel to hang her coat” elicited an enhanced N400 compared to a congruent verb as in “She uses the funnel to pour water into a container.” However, if the situation introduced in the preceding discourse induced a new function for the object as an ad-hoc affordance (e.g., the funnel is glued to the wall and the agent wants to hang the coat), we observed a crossing-over regarding the direction of the N400 effect: comparing the ad-hoc affordance-inducing context with the neutral context, the N400 for the incongruent verb was significantly reduced, whereas the N400 for the congruent verb was significantly enhanced. We explain these results as a consequence of the incorporation of the contextually triggered ad-hoc affordance into the meaning of the noun. Combining these results with an analysis of semantic similarity values between test sentences and contexts, we argue that one possibility is that the incorporation of an ad-hoc affordance may be explained on the basis of the mental simulation of concurrent motor information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Cosentino
- Institute of Philosophy II, Ruhr University of BochumBochum, Germany
- *Correspondence: Erica Cosentino
| | - Giosuè Baggio
- Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheim, Norway
| | - Jarmo Kontinen
- Institute of Philosophy II, Ruhr University of BochumBochum, Germany
| | - Markus Werning
- Institute of Philosophy II, Ruhr University of BochumBochum, Germany
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Janssens L, Schaeken W. 'But' Implicatures: A Study of the Effect of Working Memory and Argument Characteristics. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1520. [PMID: 27877140 PMCID: PMC5100440 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the possible cognitive costs involved in processing the implicatures from but and the conclusion introducing words so and nevertheless. Adult participants were asked to indicate the conclusion that the person in the story would make, based on 'p but q' sentences constructed as indirect distancing contrasts. Additionally, while performing this task, participants' working memory was burdened with a secondary dot recall task in four conditions ranging from no working memory load to high load. The results showed that working memory load did not influence participants' performance on the implicature task. This finding might be interpreted to suggest that working memory is not involved in inferring the implicatures from but, so, and nevertheless. We also found that the content of the arguments played a very important role. Whenever a strong argument is combined with a weak argument, participants mostly base their conclusion on the strong argument and consequently ignore the conventional interpretation of but (and so and nevertheless). Additionally, we found an effect of axiological value, which is in line with the positive-negative asymmetry theory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Walter Schaeken
- Laboratory for Experimental Psychology, Department of Brain and Cognition, KU LeuvenLeuven, Belgium
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