An ERP Study On The Processing Of Concrete Negative Sentences With Certain States

Negation is contained in any language,different and even opposite scenario represents the actual situations described speaker.Study researchers working on the processing of negative focused on two aspects:one is the study of negative overall effect,another is the negation of partial effect.And summed up a variety of theorise to explain the processing of negative in constant studise.The most representative theorise is propositional theory and experiential-simulations view under perceptual symbols system.According to experiential-simulations view,B.Kaup came up with the two-step simulation hypothesis,that is negative sentences psychological process consists of two phases:negated state of the sentence is simulated first in early processing stage;the negated state of the sentence is suppressed,the actual state is simulated in later processing stage.The current study used ERP technology,using sentence-picture verification paradigm,and concrete negative sentences with certain states and their corresponding affirmative sentence as experimental material.Response time/accuracy and event-related potentials include N300 amplitudes(early N400 amplitudes,250-400 ms time window) and N400 amplitudes(400-550 ms time window) were measured during reading and verification.To explore the processing of concrete negative sentences with certain states and its time periods.And verify the status process to identify concrete negative sentences with certain states is consistent with the two-step analog Hypothesis.Research is divided into two experiments:experiment 1 discussed the processing of concrete negative sentences with certain states when the delay of picture presentation was short(250ms,early processing stage).The results showed that:(1) behavior results:the response time is significantly less for affirmative sentences and matching condition than negative sentences and mismatching condition,and the accuracy is significantly more for affirmative sentences and matching condition than negative sentences and mismatching condition;(2) ERP results:N300 amplitudes and N400 amplitudes are significantly larger for false affirmative sentences than true affirmative sentences;the opposite case appeared innegative sentences,N300 amplitudes and N400 amplitudes are significantly larger for true negative sentences than false negative sentences.Determining in early processing stage of concrete negative sentences with certain states,the denied state of sentence was first simulated in the minds of participants.Experiment 2 discussed the processing of concrete negative sentences with certain states when the delay of picture presentation was long(1500ms,later processing stage).The results showed that:(1) behavior results:the result is the same as experiment 1;(2) ERP results:N300amplitudes and N400 amplitudes are significantly larger for false condition than true condition no matter in affirmative sentences or negative sentences.Determining in later processing stage of concrete negative sentences with certain states,the negated state of sentence is suppressed, and the actual status described sentences been characterized.Comprehensive results of two experiments,inferred the following conclusions:(1)in early processing stage of concrete negative sentences with certain states,the negated state of sentence is simulated firstly;(2)in later processing stage of concrete negative sentences with certain states,the negated state of sentence is suppressed, and the actual status described sentences been characterized;(3)the processing of concrete negative sentences with certain states is correspond with the two-step simulation hypothesis.