Native Word Order Processing Is Not Uniform: An ERP Study of Verb-Second Word Order
Studies of native syntactic processing often target phrase structure violations that do not occur in natural production. In contrast, this study examines how variation in basic word order is processed, looking specifically at structures traditionally labelled as violations but that do occur naturall...
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| Iaith: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-03-01
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| Cyfres: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Pynciau: | |
| Mynediad Ar-lein: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.668276/full |
| _version_ | 1828854529015152640 |
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| author | Susan Sayehli Marianne Gullberg Aaron J. Newman Annika Andersson |
| author_facet | Susan Sayehli Marianne Gullberg Aaron J. Newman Annika Andersson |
| author_sort | Susan Sayehli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Studies of native syntactic processing often target phrase structure violations that do not occur in natural production. In contrast, this study examines how variation in basic word order is processed, looking specifically at structures traditionally labelled as violations but that do occur naturally. We examined Swedish verb-second (V2) and verb-third (V3) word order processing in adult native Swedish speakers, manipulating sentence-initial adverbials (temporal idag ‘today’, spatial hemma ‘at home’ and sentential kanske ‘maybe’) in acceptability judgements, in simultaneously recorded event-related potentials (ERP) to visually presented sentences and in a written sentence completion task. An initial corpus study showed that the adverbials differ in frequency in fronted position (idag > kanske > hemma), and although all occur mainly with V2 word order, kanske occurs more frequently with V3 in natural production than both idag and hemma. The experimental results reflected these patterns such that V2 sentences were overall more frequently produced and were deemed more acceptable than V3 sentences. The ERP results consisted of a biphasic N400/P600 response to V3 word order that indicated effects of word retrieval and sentence reanalysis. We also found consistent effects of adverbials. As predicted, V3 was produced more frequently and judged as more acceptable in Kanske sentences than in sentences with the other two adverbials. The ERP analyses showed stronger effects for idag and hemma with V3, especially regarding the P600. The results suggest that the naturally occurring word order ‘violation’, V3 with kanske, is processed differently than V3 with other adverbials where the V2 norm is stronger. Moreover, these patterns are related to individuals’ own production patterns. Overall, the results suggest a more varied native word order processing than previously reported. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T00:35:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9a6326a9916b48b79bd910e93b56c1e5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T00:35:48Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9a6326a9916b48b79bd910e93b56c1e52022-12-22T00:05:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-03-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.668276668276Native Word Order Processing Is Not Uniform: An ERP Study of Verb-Second Word OrderSusan Sayehli0Marianne Gullberg1Aaron J. Newman2Annika Andersson3Centre for Research on Bilingualism, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenCentre for Languages and Literature, Lund University, Lund, SwedenDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, CanadaDepartment of Swedish, Linnaeus University, Växjö, SwedenStudies of native syntactic processing often target phrase structure violations that do not occur in natural production. In contrast, this study examines how variation in basic word order is processed, looking specifically at structures traditionally labelled as violations but that do occur naturally. We examined Swedish verb-second (V2) and verb-third (V3) word order processing in adult native Swedish speakers, manipulating sentence-initial adverbials (temporal idag ‘today’, spatial hemma ‘at home’ and sentential kanske ‘maybe’) in acceptability judgements, in simultaneously recorded event-related potentials (ERP) to visually presented sentences and in a written sentence completion task. An initial corpus study showed that the adverbials differ in frequency in fronted position (idag > kanske > hemma), and although all occur mainly with V2 word order, kanske occurs more frequently with V3 in natural production than both idag and hemma. The experimental results reflected these patterns such that V2 sentences were overall more frequently produced and were deemed more acceptable than V3 sentences. The ERP results consisted of a biphasic N400/P600 response to V3 word order that indicated effects of word retrieval and sentence reanalysis. We also found consistent effects of adverbials. As predicted, V3 was produced more frequently and judged as more acceptable in Kanske sentences than in sentences with the other two adverbials. The ERP analyses showed stronger effects for idag and hemma with V3, especially regarding the P600. The results suggest that the naturally occurring word order ‘violation’, V3 with kanske, is processed differently than V3 with other adverbials where the V2 norm is stronger. Moreover, these patterns are related to individuals’ own production patterns. Overall, the results suggest a more varied native word order processing than previously reported.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.668276/fullERPN400P600language processingvariationword order |
| spellingShingle | Susan Sayehli Marianne Gullberg Aaron J. Newman Annika Andersson Native Word Order Processing Is Not Uniform: An ERP Study of Verb-Second Word Order Frontiers in Psychology ERP N400 P600 language processing variation word order |
| title | Native Word Order Processing Is Not Uniform: An ERP Study of Verb-Second Word Order |
| title_full | Native Word Order Processing Is Not Uniform: An ERP Study of Verb-Second Word Order |
| title_fullStr | Native Word Order Processing Is Not Uniform: An ERP Study of Verb-Second Word Order |
| title_full_unstemmed | Native Word Order Processing Is Not Uniform: An ERP Study of Verb-Second Word Order |
| title_short | Native Word Order Processing Is Not Uniform: An ERP Study of Verb-Second Word Order |
| title_sort | native word order processing is not uniform an erp study of verb second word order |
| topic | ERP N400 P600 language processing variation word order |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.668276/full |
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