Research article summary (published 19 May 2008):

Sentence processing in the visual and auditory modality: do comma and prosodic break have parallel functions?

Full Abstract

Two Event-Related Potential (ERP) studies contrast the processing of locally ambiguous sentences in the visual and the auditory modality. These sentences are disambiguated by a lexical element. Before this element appears in a sentence, the sentence can also be disambiguated by a boundary marker: a comma in the visual modality, or a prosodic break in the auditory modality. Previous studies have shown that a specific ERP component, the Closure Positive Shift (CPS), can be elicited by these markers. The results of the present studies show that both the comma and the prosodic break disambiguate the ambiguous sentences before the critical lexical element, despite the fact that a clear CPS is only found in the auditory modality. Comma and prosodic break thus have parallel functions irrespective of whether they do or do not elicit a CPS.

Author information

Author/s: Kerkhofs, Roel (R); Vonk, Wietske (W); Schriefers, Herbert (H); Chwilla, Dorothee J (DJ);

Affiliation: Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Brain research (Brain Res), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Aug; vol 1224 (issue ) : pp 102-18

Dates: Created 2008/07/28; Completed 2008/10/30;

PMID: 18614156, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Acoustic Stimulation Adult Auditory Perception - physiology Brain - physiology Electroencephalography Evoked Potentials - physiology Female Humans Language

Language Language Tests Male Photic Stimulation Reaction Time - physiology Reading Speech Perception - physiology Verbal Behavior - physiology Visual Perception - physiology

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