Syntax does not necessarily precede semantics in sentence processing: ERP evidence from Chinese

Zhang, Yaxu; Li, Ping; Piao, Qiuhong; Liu, Youyi; Huang, Yongjing; Shu, Hua

doi:10.1016/j.bandl.2013.04.001

Cited by 38 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Wei Li ba xinxiande yali manman de gangqing le liangge, 'Wei Li ba fresh pears slowly piano LE two'). Zhang et al (2013) found similar results for SOV sentences containing combined syntactic transitivity/semantic anomalies (e.g., fangdichan zhejia jituan zuijin jinian huilai le sanchu, 'Real estate this corporation during recent several years came back LE three places'). These results suggest that semantic processing was not contingent upon successful syntactic processing.…”

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confidence: 61%

“…Of course, our results do not show that the processes by which these representations are computed are the same across languages. Indeed, processing evidence suggests that there may be important differences between such languages in the ways in which syntactic information and semantic information are brought to bear during processing (e.g., Cai & Dong, 2007;Zhang et al, 2010Zhang et al, , 2013. Nevertheless, they suggest that the representational basis of language processing may be the same across languages with very different characteristics, with a fundamental distinction between the representation of information about structure and the representation of information about meaning.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, a number of studies using electrophysiology found that Mandarin sentences involving combined syntactic/semantic anomalies elicited components consistent with the detection of both syntactic and semantic anomalies (Liu, Wang, & Jin, 2010;Ye, Luo, Friederici, & Zhou, 2006;Yu & Zhang, 2008;Zhang et al, 2010Zhang et al, , 2013.…”

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confidence: 99%

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The independence of syntactic processing in Mandarin: Evidence from structural priming

Huang

Pickering

Yang

et al. 2016

Journal of Memory and Language

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Although it is generally accepted that syntactic information is processed independently of semantic information in languages such as English, there is less agreement about whether the same is true in languages such as Mandarin that have fewer reliable cues to syntactic structure. We report five experiments that used a structural priming paradigm to investigate the independence of syntactic processing in Mandarin. In a recognition memory task, Mandarin native speakers described ditransitive events after repeating prime sentences with a double object (DO) or prepositional object (PO) structure. Participants tended to repeat syntactic structure across prime and target sentences. Critically, this tendency occurred whether or not semantic features (animacy of the recipient) were also repeated across sentences, both when the verb was repeated and when it was not. We conclude that Mandarin speakers compute independent syntactic representations during language processing.

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confidence: 61%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The independence of syntactic processing in Mandarin: Evidence from structural priming

Huang

Pickering

Yang

et al. 2016

Journal of Memory and Language

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“…It is, therefore, reasonable to infer that the interplay between form and meaning is fundamental for language comprehension. However, despite the significant increase in the knowledge of language processing, it is still not clear whether, how, and where conceptual information mediates the building of syntactic structures (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). The vast majority of studies have explored formal and conceptual factors separately, assuming there is no interaction between them (4,(8)(9)(10)(11).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linguistic input drives brain network configuration during language comprehension

Quiñones

Molinaro

Caballero-Gaudes

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Assessing the synchrony and interplay between distributed neural regions is critical to understanding how language is processed. Here, we investigated possible neuro-functional links between form and meaning during sentence comprehension combining a classical wholebrain approach to characterize patterns of brain activation resulting from our experimental manipulation with a novel multivariate network-based approach where the combination of graph-theory measures allow us to unravel the architectonic configuration of the language system. Capitalizing on the Spanish gender agreement system, we experimentally manipulated formal and conceptual factors: whether the noun-adjective grammatical gender relationship was congruent or not and whether the noun gender type was conceptual or strictly formal. Left inferior and middle frontal gyri, as well as left MTG/STG emerged as critical areas for the computation of grammatical relations. However, critically, we demonstrate how the interface between formal and conceptual features depends on the synergic articulation of brain areas divided in three subnetworks and extends beyond this classical left-lateralized perisylvian language circuit. Critically, we isolated a subregion of the left angular gyrus showing a significant interaction between gender congruency and gender type. The functional interplay between the angular gyrus and left perisylvian language-specific circuit was identified as crucial for constructing coherent and meaningful messages. Importantly, using graph theory we show the functional malleability of this complex system, so that the role each node play within the network changes depending on the available linguistic cues. Significance Statement:Neural networks can be described as graphs comprising distributed and interconnected nodes. These nodes share functional properties but also differ in terms of functional specialization and the number of interconnections mediating the efficient transfer of information. Previous work has shown functional connectivity differences based on graph-theory properties between typical and atypical samples. However, here graph-theory properties have been used to characterize the language connectivity signature using task-related fMRI. This approach allowed us to demonstrate how linguistic input drives brain network configuration during language comprehension. This is the first evidence for functional flexibility in brain networks: the communication capacity of each hub changes depending on whether the linguistic input grants access to meaning or whether is purely formal.

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“…To overcome this confounding issue, some researchers applied same syntactic categories of critical words across different experimental conditions. For example, to investigate whether syntactic sub-categorization (transitivity) necessarily proceeds semantic processing, Zhang et al (2013) created three conditions: Correct (CORRECT), Semantic only anomaly (SEMANTIC), and Transitivity plus semantic anomaly (TRANSITIVI-TY). The transitive verb in the correct sentence was replaced by a transitive but semantically anomalous verb, or by an intransitive verb, creating SEMANTIC and TRANSITIVITY, respectively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Re-examination of Chinese Semantic Processing and Syntactic Processing: Evidence from Conventional ERPs and Reconstructed ERPs by Residue Iteration Decomposition (RIDE)

Wang

Ouyang

Zhou

et al. 2016

Advances in Cognitive Neurodynamics (V)

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A number of studies have explored the time course of Chinese semantic and syntactic processing. However, whether syntactic processing occurs earlier than semantics during Chinese sentence reading is still under debate. To further explore this issue, an event-related potentials (ERPs) experiment was conducted on 21 native Chinese speakers who read individually-presented Chinese simple sentences (NP1+VP+NP2) word-by-word for comprehension and made semantic plausibility judgments. The transitivity of the verbs was manipulated to form three types of stimuli: congruent sentences (CON), sentences with a semantically violated NP2 following a transitive verb (semantic violation, SEM), and sentences with a semantically violated NP2 following an intransitive verb (combined semantic and syntactic violation, SEM+SYN). The ERPs evoked from the target NP2 were analyzed by using the Residue Iteration Decomposition (RIDE) method to reconstruct the ERP waveform blurred by trial-to-trial variability, as well as by using the conventional ERP method based on stimulus-locked averaging. The conventional ERP analysis showed that, compared with the critical words in CON, those in SEM and SEM+SYN elicited an N400-P600 biphasic pattern. The N400 effects in both violation conditions were of similar size and distribution, but the P600 in SEM+SYN was bigger than that in SEM. Compared with the conventional ERP analysis, RIDE analysis revealed a larger N400 effect and an earlier P600 effect (in the time window of 500-800 ms instead of 570-810ms). Overall, the combination of conventional ERP analysis and the RIDE method for compensating for trial-to-trial variability confirmed the non-significant difference between SEM and SEM+SYN in the earlier N400 time window. Converging with previous findings on other Chinese structures, the current PLOS ONE |

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Syntax does not necessarily precede semantics in sentence processing: ERP evidence from Chinese

Cited by 38 publications

References 47 publications

The independence of syntactic processing in Mandarin: Evidence from structural priming

The independence of syntactic processing in Mandarin: Evidence from structural priming

Linguistic input drives brain network configuration during language comprehension

Re-examination of Chinese Semantic Processing and Syntactic Processing: Evidence from Conventional ERPs and Reconstructed ERPs by Residue Iteration Decomposition (RIDE)

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