Mechanisms of socio-linguistic human communication: Neural correlates of irony production.

• Project/Area Number: 23700305
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Cognitive science
• Research Institution: The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (2013-2014); Tohoku University (2011-2012)
• Principal Investigator: AKIMOTO Yoritaka 独立行政法人理化学研究所, 脳科学総合研究センター, 研究員 (00555245)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2011: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
• Keywords: アイロニー / ポライトネス / 高次意図 / 発話産出 / fMRI / MEG / 個人特性 / 感情 / 社会的要因 / 産出 / 動機

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Brain mechanisms of irony comprehension and politeness during communicative utterance production were examined using MEG and fMRI. Results showed that oscillatory power of alpha band (8-13Hz) was decreased in the medial prefrontal cortex and the right anterior temporal lobe during irony production, and the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex play a role in the consideration of politeness during communicative utterance production. These regions were known to be involved in context, theory of mind, and affective processing. Questionnaire studies and behavioral study also support the notion that irony production includes social and affective processing.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] High-gamma activity in an attention network predicts individual differences in elderly adults' behavioral performance (2014)
  • Author(s): Akimoto Y, Nozawa T, Kanno A, Ihara M, Goto T, Ogawa T, Kambara T, Sugiura M, Okumura E, Kawashima R
  • Journal Title: Neuroimage Volume: 100C Pages: 290-300
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.06.037
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Spatiotemporal dynamics of high-gamma activities during a 3-stimulus visual oddball task (2013)
  • Author(s): Akimoto Y, Kanno A, Kambara T, Nozawa T, Sugiura M, Okumura E, Kawashima R
  • Journal Title: PLoS ONE Volume: 8(3): e59969 Issue: 3 Pages: 1-12
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059969
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] アイロニーの処理過程を探る：ニッチな実験的研究によるリッチな示唆への挑戦 (2014)
  • Author(s): 秋元頼孝
  • Organizer: 日本認知科学会第31回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 名古屋大学東山キャンパス(愛知県・名古屋市)
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-20
• [Presentation] アイロニー産出の脳メカニズム-脳磁図による検討 (2014)
  • Author(s): 秋元頼孝・菅野彰剛・杉浦元亮・佐々木結咲子・横山諒一・浅野孝平・宮澤志保・川島隆太
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第78回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 同志社大学今出川キャンパス（京都府・京都市）
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-10
• [Presentation] 発話産出におけるポライトネスの神経基盤 (2014)
  • Author(s): 秋元頼孝, 宮澤志保, 杉浦元亮, 川島隆太
  • Organizer: 日本認知心理学会第12回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 仙台国際センター（宮城県・仙台市）
  • Year and Date: 2014-06-28
• [Presentation] アイロニー産出過程の解明に向けての探索的検討
  • Author(s): 秋元頼孝・宮澤志保・杉浦元亮・川島隆太
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第7７回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 札幌コンベンションセンター(北海道)
• [Presentation] Effects of normal aging on high-gamma synchronization during a 3-stimuli visual oddball task
  • Author(s): Yoritaka Akimoto, Takayuki Nozawa, Akitake Kanno, Mizuki Ihara, Takakuni Goto, Takeshi Ogawa, Toshimune Kambara, Motoaki Sugiura, Ryuta Kawashima
  • Organizer: 18th International Conference of Biomagnetism
  • Place of Presentation: Paris, France.
• [Presentation] MEG analytical method - possibility of a group analysis
  • Author(s): Akitake Kanno, Yoritaka Akimoto, Takayuki Nozawa, Toshimune Kambara, Motoaki Sugiura, Eichi Okumura, Nobukazu Nakasato, Ryuta Kawashima
  • Organizer: 18th International Conference of Biomagnetism
  • Place of Presentation: Paris, France.
• [Presentation] アイロニー産出を動機づける要因の予備的検討
  • Author(s): 秋元頼孝, 宮澤志保, 杉浦元亮, 川島隆太
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第76回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 川崎
• [Presentation] 脳磁図におけるグループ解析
  • Author(s): 菅野彰剛, 秋元頼孝, 野澤孝之, 杉浦元亮, 奥村栄一, 中里信和, 川島隆太
  • Organizer: 第29回日本脳電磁図トポグラフィ研究会
  • Place of Presentation: 葉山