Semantic and syntactic processing of Chinese [S+V+O] simple sentence structures—ERPs evidence

YANG Siqin; JIANG Minghu

doi:10.16511/j.cnki.qhdxxb.2021.25.008

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Journal of Tsinghua University(Science and Technology) ›› 2022, Vol. 62 ›› Issue (12) : 2053-2060. DOI: 10.16511/j.cnki.qhdxxb.2021.25.008

COMPUTATIONAL LINGUISTICS

Semantic and syntactic processing of Chinese [S+V+O] simple sentence structures—ERPs evidence

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Abstract

Syntax-first models and semantic priority are two opposing views in sentence processing theory. This study took N400 and P600 effects as the main analysis objects to explore the cognitive processing mechanism of Chinese sentences with semantic violations, with syntax violations and with both semantic and syntax violations of the "subject (noun) + predicate (verb) + object (noun)" structure without modifiers (referred to as Chinese [S+V+O] simple sentence structure) in the brain. The results of figures showed that semantic violation sentences, syntactic violation sentences, and combined violation sentences all triggered the N400 effect between 300 and 400 ms. Among them, the N400 amplitude of the semantic violation sentence and the syntactic violation sentence were similar, but the N400 amplitude for sentences with both semantic and syntax violations were more negative than the N400 amplitude with only one semantic and sytax violation. Only the semantical violations produced the P600 tendency. The research results indicated that Chinese sentences with the [S+V+O] simple structure might not fit with syntax-first model. The results also showed that the brain response to this sentence structure differs from the EEG amplitude caused by the "ba" sentence and the "bei" sentence. Thus, this research concludes that sentence processing in brain might differ for language types and language structures.

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sentence / semantics / syntax / N400 / P600 / event-related brain potentials (ERPs)

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YANG Siqin, JIANG Minghu. Semantic and syntactic processing of Chinese [S+V+O] simple sentence structures—ERPs evidence[J]. Journal of Tsinghua University(Science and Technology). 2022, 62(12): 2053-2060 https://doi.org/10.16511/j.cnki.qhdxxb.2021.25.008

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