LINGUIST List 25.2578
Mon
Jun 16 2014
Diss: Cognitive Science,
Neuroling, Psycholing: Brouwer: 'The
Electrophysiology of Language
Comprehension...'
Editor for this issue:
Danuta Allen <danutalinguistlist.org>
Date: 16-Jun-2014
From: Harm Brouwer
<me
hbrouwer.eu>
Subject: The Electrophysiology
of Language Comprehension: A Neurocomputational
Model
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Institution: University of Groningen
Program: Alpha-Informatica
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2014
Author: Harm Brouwer
Dissertation Title: The Electrophysiology of
Language Comprehension: A Neurocomputational
Model
Dissertation URL:
http://dissertations.ub.rug.nl/faculties/arts/2014/h.brouwer/?pLanguage=en
Linguistic Field(s): Cognitive Science
Neurolinguistics
Psycholinguistics
Dissertation Director:
John Nerbonne
John C.J. Hoeks
Dissertation Abstract:
One decade ago, researchers using event-related
brain potential (ERP) measurements stumbled
upon what looked like a 'Semantic Illusion' in
language comprehension: Semantically anomalous,
but otherwise well- formed sentences did not
affect the 'meaning-related' N400 component,
but instead increased the amplitude of the
'structure-related' P600 component. This
finding spawned five new models of language
comprehension, which claim that language is
processed in two or even more separate
processing streams, at least one of which is
not driven by structure, but by word meaning
alone. In this thesis, I argue instead that
language is processed in a single stream, where
N400 amplitude reflects lexical retrieval, and
P600 amplitude reflects semantic integration. I
present evidence from neurocomputational
simulations showing that this alternative, and
most parsimonious explanation is able to
predict the relevant ERP patterns found in the
literature.
Page Updated: 16-Jun-2014