The neural substrates of complex argument structure representations: Processing “alternating transitivity” verbs

Abstract

This study examines the neural correlates of processing verbal entries with multiple argument structures using fMRI. We compared brain activation in response to ‘alternating transitivity’ verbs, corresponding to two different verbal alternates – one transitive and one intransitive - and simple verbs, with only one, intransitive, thematic grid. Fourteen young healthy participants performed a lexical decision task with the two verb types. Results showed significantly greater activation in the angular and supramarginal gyri (BAs 39 and 40) extending to the posterior superior and middle temporal gyri bilaterally, for alternating compared to simple verbs. Additional activation was detected in bilateral middle and superior frontal gyri (BAs 8 and 9). The opposite contrast, simple compared to alternating verbs, showed no significant differential activation in any regions of the brain. These findings are consistent with previous studies implicating a posterior network including the superior temporal, supramarginal and angular gyri for processing verbs with multiple thematic roles, as well as with those suggesting involvement of the middle and superior frontal gyri in lexical ambiguity processing. However, because ‘alternating transitivity’ verbs differ from simple intransitives with regard to both the number of thematic grids (two vs. one) and the number of thematic roles (two vs. one), our findings do not distinguish between activations associated with these two differences.

How the brain processes different dimensions of argument structure complexity: Evidence from fMRI

“…* burst something at the seam ) (see Horvath & Siloni, 2009, for discussion of similar facts in Hebrew). Moreover, in Meltzer-Asscher et al (2012) we found activation in bilateral AG and MFG in response to alternating unaccusative compared to unergative verbs. In that study, the posterior activation was argued to reflect processing associated with the greater number of thematic roles associated with the transitive reading of the alternating verbs (as in Thompson 2007, 2010 and the current study), and the frontal activation was interpreted as emerging from the processing of lexical ambiguity, namely the existence of multiple thematic options for the alternating verbs.…”

“…In contrast, lexicalist approaches (e.g. Horvath & Siloni, 2010; Meltzer-Asscher, 2012; Reinhart, 2002) argue that detailed thematic grids must be specified in the lexicon. Other approaches (e.g.…”

“…One previous neuroimaging study examined processing of verbs with multiple thematic options, comparing the neural networks engaged for processing alternating unaccusative (e.g., break ) and unergative verbs using a visual lexical decision task (Meltzer-Asscher, Schuchard, den Ouden, & Thompson, 2012). Results showed a network for alternating verbs, including the inferior parietal (i.e., significant activation in BAs 39/40) and middle-superior frontal gyri (BAs 8/9), which the authors interpreted as reflecting processing of a greater number of thematic roles and ambiguity associated with alternating verbs, respectively.…”

“…If alternating unaccusatives are associated with two lexical entries, whereas the other verb types are associated with only one, then this predicts greater activation for alternating compared to nonalternating verbs in regions of the language network associated with ambiguity resolution, for example, in middle-superior frontal regions as found in other studies (cf. Meltzer-Asscher et al, 2012; Shetreet et al, 2007). …”

The Study of Verbs in Cognitive Science

“…Recent years, however, have brought us numerous aphasia and neuroimaging studies focusing on verb meaning and structure (e.g., Bastiaanse and van Zonnevelt 2005;Faroqi-Shah and Thompson 2010;Kemmerer 2006;Kemmerer and Eggleston 2010;Meltzer-Asscher et al 2013;; Thompson et al 2007Thompson et al , 2010.…”