2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Neurological Mechanisms of Word Formation: An Empirical Study by Collaboration of Theoretical Linguistics and Neurolinguistics
| Project/Area Number |
17520319
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Section | 一般 |
|---|
| Research Field |
English linguistics
|
|---|
| Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
ITO Takane The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Professor (10168354)
|
|---|
| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
SUGIOKA Yoko Keio University, Faculty of Economics, Professor (00187650)
HAGIWARA Hiroko Tokyo Metropolitan University, Graduate School of Humanities, Professor (20172835)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2007
|
| Keywords | ERP(Event-Related Potentials) / embedded structure / N400 / AN (Anterior Negativity) / P600 / causative constructions / complex predicate / Dual Mechanism Model |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
We have employed the so-called Dual Mechanism Model as our working hypothesis, which claims that two different mental/neurological mechanisms of memory and computation are involved in the processing of words, and conducted an ERP (Event-Related Potentials) experiment to investigate the processing of Japanese complex predicates at the neurological level. Our findings are as follows.
We used two types of causative constructions, lexical causative (LC) and sase-causative (SC), and observed the ERP responses to unacceptable sentences (ULC:^*kansei-o narab-e-ru 'arrange shouts of joy', USC:^*ryoori-o narab-ase-ru 'make dishes line up') in comparison to the acceptable counterparts (ALC: ryoori-o narab-e-ru 'arrange dishes', ASC: senshu-o narab-ase-ru 'make players line up'). The ULC sentences elicited a typical N400, which we interpret to reflect the semantic selectional violations. In contrast, the USC sentences elicited an AN (anterior negativity) followed by an N400. The AN can be taken to reflect the computational process involved in detecting the ill-formedness of the USC sentences, while the following N400 is a reflection of the semantic violation. In addition, when the two acceptable sentence types (ALC and ASC) were compared, it was observed that the ASC elicited a P600, which we interpret to reflect the cost of syntactic computation involved in processing the bi-clausal structure of SC sentences. Thus our results basically support the Dual Mechanism approach to causative constructions, LC involving memory-based processing while SC being processed by syntactic computation.
We have conducted another experiment, in the hope of accumulating basic ERP data on language processing in Japanese, exploring what ERP components are observed in case violations. We observed N400 for the violation of lexically specified case array of verbs (^*kodomo-ni shikaru 'scold a child', ^*hito-o butsukaru 'hit a person').
|
Research Products
(54 results)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
[Journal Article] Keitairon2005
Author(s)
Ito. T.
-
Journal Title
Nakajima, H. ed. Gendai gengo-no jiten (Asakura-shoten)
Pages: 41-65
Description
「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
-
-
-
-
[Journal Article] Gengo-to No2005
Author(s)
Hagiwara, H.
-
Journal Title
Nakajima, H. ed. Gendai gengo-no jiten (Asakura-shoten)
Pages: 297-323
Description
「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
[Presentation] Dual-Mechanism Processing in Japanese Causatives : An Event Related Potential Study2005
Author(s)
Ito, T., Sugioka, Y., Soshi, T., Koso, A., Hagiwara, H.
Organizer
2nd International workshop on Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, "In pursuit of language-brain interactions : Acquisition, sentence processing and neurolinguistics. "
Place of Presentation
東京大学駒場キャンパス
Year and Date
2005-07-02
Description
「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
-
-
-
-
