Interpreting pragmatic markers following proverbs.

Abstract

This research examined the interpretation of the pragmatic markers literally and figuratively when they followed familiar and unfamiliar proverbs (e.g., “Birds of a feather will flock together, literally”). Event-related brain potential methodology was used to measure costs associated with interpreting the markers during online comprehension, and an offline task provided additional insight into how sensible the markers were in the proverbial contexts. N400 potentials revealed that literally was less semantically congruent than figuratively with familiar and unfamiliar proverbial contexts, and differences in late positive potentials showed that resolving the interpretation of markers inconsistent with the salient meaning of the proverbs was more difficult following unfamiliar than familiar proverbs. Sensibility ratings showed that literally was less sensible than figuratively following both types of proverbs, and that both markers were more sensible following familiar proverbs. These results have implications for understanding how people interpret the pragmatic intent of these markers when they appear after the figurative statements they modify, and highlight the sensitivity of the markers to context.

A mapping-knowledge-domain analysis of ERP research on language processing

“… Casado et al (2020) revealed that motor sequencing affects early syntactic processing. Figurative language studies by Ferretti et al (2021) and Shen et al (2022) focused on proverbs and metaphors in sentence processing. Studies on reading comprehension and development, such as Stites and Laszlo (2017) , linked ERP components with children’s reading development, finding that N250 predicted phonological awareness.…”

Pragmatics Electrified

“…Proverbs: ERP research on proverbs is scant but growing [e.g., [65][66][67][68][69]. Ferretti et al [67] showed that when reading proverbs (e.g., Lightning never strikes the same p r e -p r i n t place twice), the brainwaves associated with the target word showed a larger N400 for the figurative as compared to the literal context.…”

“…No reliable LPC effects were found in this study, while instead the authors reported ERP differences at the level of slow cortical potentials -slow voltage changes (<1 Hz) in the ERPs that are typically studied across multiple word positions -developing just after reading the third word of the expression. Ferretti, Katz, et al [68] further investigated the development of such slow drifts across sentence positions, while Ferretti, Hall, et al [69] studied the effect of pragmatic markers (using literally or figuratively to comment the preceding proverb). Using a novel methodological approach, Bianchi et al [65] focused on the comparison between the effect of predictability within "common" literal sentences, and sentences containing proverbs.…”

The psychology of saying what you don’t mean: Celebrating the research career of Professor Albert Katz.

“…The first two papers address a similar theme following from Katz and Ferretti (2003), who were literally the first to systematically examine how pragmatic marking impacts comprehension. Ferretti et al (2021) used ERPs to investigate the extent to which pragmatic markers are understood following presentation of familiar and less-familiar proverbs (e.g., “Birds of a feather flock together, literally/figuratively .”). This interesting design allowed them to examine brain responses to these pragmatic markers, indirectly allowing them to assess the degree to which figurative meanings of proverbs were activated (spoiler: they were activated as a function of proverb familiarity).…”