Jinfeng Ding, Yuping Zhang, Panpan Liang, Xiaoqing Li
{"title":"Modulation of working memory capacity on predictive processing during language comprehension","authors":"Jinfeng Ding, Yuping Zhang, Panpan Liang, Xiaoqing Li","doi":"10.1080/23273798.2023.2212819","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Ample evidence has shown facilitations of context-based prediction on language comprehension. However, the influential effect of working memory capacity on this predictive processing remains debated. To investigate this issue with the electroencephalograph technique, high and low working memory capacity participants read strong-, moderate- and weak-constraint sentences which resulted in high-, moderate- and low-predictability for the critical nouns. The strong-constraint (vs. weak-constraint) contexts preceding the nouns elicited a larger positive deflection, which was only observed for the high-span group. Along with the smaller N400s for strong- vs. weak-predictable nouns for both groups, the moderately predictable nouns elicited smaller N400 than the weakly predictable nouns for the high-span group. The ERP effects at both verbs and nouns correlated significantly with the noun’s predictability. These findings suggest that predictive processing involves at least partially an effortful-meaning-computation mechanism, and high working memory capacity facilitates the activation and integration of predicted information during language comprehension.","PeriodicalId":48782,"journal":{"name":"Language Cognition and Neuroscience","volume":"38 1","pages":"1133 - 1152"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2023-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Language Cognition and Neuroscience","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23273798.2023.2212819","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
ABSTRACT Ample evidence has shown facilitations of context-based prediction on language comprehension. However, the influential effect of working memory capacity on this predictive processing remains debated. To investigate this issue with the electroencephalograph technique, high and low working memory capacity participants read strong-, moderate- and weak-constraint sentences which resulted in high-, moderate- and low-predictability for the critical nouns. The strong-constraint (vs. weak-constraint) contexts preceding the nouns elicited a larger positive deflection, which was only observed for the high-span group. Along with the smaller N400s for strong- vs. weak-predictable nouns for both groups, the moderately predictable nouns elicited smaller N400 than the weakly predictable nouns for the high-span group. The ERP effects at both verbs and nouns correlated significantly with the noun’s predictability. These findings suggest that predictive processing involves at least partially an effortful-meaning-computation mechanism, and high working memory capacity facilitates the activation and integration of predicted information during language comprehension.
期刊介绍:
Language, Cognition and Neuroscience (formerly titled Language and Cognitive Processes) publishes high-quality papers taking an interdisciplinary approach to the study of brain and language, and promotes studies that integrate cognitive theoretical accounts of language and its neural bases. We publish both high quality, theoretically-motivated cognitive behavioural studies of language function, and papers which integrate cognitive theoretical accounts of language with its neurobiological foundations.
The study of language function from a cognitive neuroscience perspective has attracted intensive research interest over the last 20 years, and the development of neuroscience methodologies has significantly broadened the empirical scope of all language research. Both hemodynamic imaging and electrophysiological approaches provide new perspectives on the representation and processing of language, and place important constraints on the development of theoretical accounts of language function and its neurobiological context.