The Study On The Neuromechanism Underlying The Scalar Implicature Processing In Chinese

Scalar implicature is one of the major concerns in pragmatics. There is a hot debate on the processing of scalar implicature among different theories. The default account, presented by Horn’s and Levinson’s pragmatic theories, holds that scalar implicature can be generated simultaneously and context-independently, without extra cognitive resource-demanding. The context-driven account, best exemplified by Grice’s and Sperber and Wilson’s pragmatic theories, claimed that the simultaneousness of scalar implicature processing is under certain restrictions which concern extra cognitive resources and contextual factors that is of decisive function.The present study exploits Chinese trigger word yi xie’一些’(some), combines behavioral and ERP experiments, adopts truth value judgment paradigm, mismatch negativity paradigm and sentences reading comprehension paradigm, and compares two group subjects with different levels of pragmatic competence. The study probes into the neuromechanism underlying Chinese scalar implicature, explains the reasons to the behaviour of individual difference, and gives an comprehensive analysis on the core questions of the arguments. According to results of subjects with different level interpretation bias for trigger word in neutral context, scalar implicature processing mechanism outside the focus of attention and under upper-bound context and lower-bound context, the main conclusions of the study are as follows:1. The ERP components index of Chinese scalar implicature processing includes:Firstly, a negativity (N400) or a late positivity (P600) reflects accessing implicatures and integrating with other related language units. Secondly, sustained anterior negativity reflects globe semantic reanalyses operation based on implicature. Finally, MMN component reflects an automatic brain response to scalar implicature inference outside the focus of attention within some of participants.2. Although scalar implicature should be generated immediately during the processing of trigger word, this neuromechanism, which is not a universal process, relates to individual cognitive ability.3. Scalar implicature is a costly, effortful processing.4. Context is not a determinant in generating scalar implicature; However, it could play a certain role in scalar implicature processing. Specifically, the processing is easier when scalar implicature is more relative to the context, while the processing is more effortful when scalar implicature is less relative to the context.5. There are heterogeneity neuromechanism of scalar implicature among participants with different level of pragmatic ability. The group of high level are sensitive to scalar implicature and they could obtain the implicature as soon as the trigger word processing. The group of low level are insensitive to scalar implicature, therefore the implicature manipulation process is delayed.6. According to the results of the present study, both default account and context-driven account are reasonable explanations for neuromechanism of scalar implicature at a certain point, although either of them is partly correct, due to the fact that some results still contradict with the two model views. Meanwhile, the results of present study prove that individual pragmatic competence is also an important factor for neuromechanism of scalar implicature, so the models of scalar implicature processing and related pragmatics need further improve.