Semantic processing of verbal narratives compared to semantic processing of visual narratives: an ERP study of school-aged children
There is a misconception that pictures are easy to comprehend, which is problematic in pedagogical practices that include pictures. For example, if a child has difficulties with verbal narration to picture sequences, it may be interpreted as specific to spoken language even though the child may have...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253509/full |
| _version_ | 1797356608650477568 |
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| author | Hanna Lindfors Kristina Hansson Eric Pakulak Neil Cohn Annika Andersson |
| author_facet | Hanna Lindfors Kristina Hansson Eric Pakulak Neil Cohn Annika Andersson |
| author_sort | Hanna Lindfors |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is a misconception that pictures are easy to comprehend, which is problematic in pedagogical practices that include pictures. For example, if a child has difficulties with verbal narration to picture sequences, it may be interpreted as specific to spoken language even though the child may have additional difficulties with comprehension of visual narratives in the form of picture sequences. The purpose of the present study was therefore to increase our understanding of semantic processing in the pictorial domain in relation to semantic processing in the verbal domain, focusing on 9–13 years-old children with typical language development. To this end, we measured electrical brain responses (event related potentials, ERPs) in 17 children to (i) pictures (panels) that were predicted versus unpredicted in sequences of panels that conveyed visual narratives and (ii) words that were predicted versus unpredicted in sentences that conveyed verbal narratives. Results demonstrated similarities as there were no significant difference in the magnitude of the N400 effect across domains. The only difference between domains was the predicted difference in distribution, that is, a more posterior N400 effect in the verbal domain than in the pictorial domain. The study contributes to an increased understanding of the complexity of processing of visual narratives and its shared features with processing of verbal narratives, which should be considered in pedagogical practices. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:29:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-823a30d5f5e745dbbe9fe515a594a20b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:29:08Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-823a30d5f5e745dbbe9fe515a594a20b2024-01-12T13:29:22ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782024-01-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.12535091253509Semantic processing of verbal narratives compared to semantic processing of visual narratives: an ERP study of school-aged childrenHanna Lindfors0Kristina Hansson1Eric Pakulak2Neil Cohn3Annika Andersson4Linnaeus Language Processing Lab, Department of Swedish, Linnaeus University, Växjö, SwedenLogopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, SwedenDepartment of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenVisual Language Lab, Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences, Department of Communication and Cognition, Tilburg University, Tilburg, NetherlandsLinnaeus Language Processing Lab, Department of Swedish, Linnaeus University, Växjö, SwedenThere is a misconception that pictures are easy to comprehend, which is problematic in pedagogical practices that include pictures. For example, if a child has difficulties with verbal narration to picture sequences, it may be interpreted as specific to spoken language even though the child may have additional difficulties with comprehension of visual narratives in the form of picture sequences. The purpose of the present study was therefore to increase our understanding of semantic processing in the pictorial domain in relation to semantic processing in the verbal domain, focusing on 9–13 years-old children with typical language development. To this end, we measured electrical brain responses (event related potentials, ERPs) in 17 children to (i) pictures (panels) that were predicted versus unpredicted in sequences of panels that conveyed visual narratives and (ii) words that were predicted versus unpredicted in sentences that conveyed verbal narratives. Results demonstrated similarities as there were no significant difference in the magnitude of the N400 effect across domains. The only difference between domains was the predicted difference in distribution, that is, a more posterior N400 effect in the verbal domain than in the pictorial domain. The study contributes to an increased understanding of the complexity of processing of visual narratives and its shared features with processing of verbal narratives, which should be considered in pedagogical practices.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253509/fullsemantic processingnarrativespicturescomicschildrenevent related potentials |
| spellingShingle | Hanna Lindfors Kristina Hansson Eric Pakulak Neil Cohn Annika Andersson Semantic processing of verbal narratives compared to semantic processing of visual narratives: an ERP study of school-aged children Frontiers in Psychology semantic processing narratives pictures comics children event related potentials |
| title | Semantic processing of verbal narratives compared to semantic processing of visual narratives: an ERP study of school-aged children |
| title_full | Semantic processing of verbal narratives compared to semantic processing of visual narratives: an ERP study of school-aged children |
| title_fullStr | Semantic processing of verbal narratives compared to semantic processing of visual narratives: an ERP study of school-aged children |
| title_full_unstemmed | Semantic processing of verbal narratives compared to semantic processing of visual narratives: an ERP study of school-aged children |
| title_short | Semantic processing of verbal narratives compared to semantic processing of visual narratives: an ERP study of school-aged children |
| title_sort | semantic processing of verbal narratives compared to semantic processing of visual narratives an erp study of school aged children |
| topic | semantic processing narratives pictures comics children event related potentials |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253509/full |
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