Verb gapping: An action-gap compatibility study

Claus, Berry

doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2014.07.009

Cited by 9 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…A further possible criticism addresses the linguistic structural level. According to some linguistic theories, single word utterances such as the ones used as critical stimuli, are conceptualised as ellipses, i.e., short forms derived from more elaborate structures by omitting some of their syntactic constituents, especially when they are supplied by the context ( Matthews, 2007 ) (for example see ( Claus, 2015 ) for recent experimental evidence on syntactic gapping). In this view, single words would first need to be expanded into full sentences during comprehension, e.g., “water” into whole sentences such as “Please give me water”, or “The object to which I point is water”.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain basis of communicative actions in language

2016

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Although language is a key tool for communication in social interaction, most studies in the neuroscience of language have focused on language structures such as words and sentences. Here, the neural correlates of speech acts, that is, the actions performed by using language, were investigated with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants were shown videos, in which the same critical utterances were used in different communicative contexts, to Name objects, or to Request them from communication partners. Understanding of critical utterances as Requests was accompanied by activation in bilateral premotor, left inferior frontal and temporo-parietal cortical areas known to support action-related and social interactive knowledge. Naming, however, activated the left angular gyrus implicated in linking information about word forms and related reference objects mentioned in critical utterances. These findings show that understanding of utterances as different communicative actions is reflected in distinct brain activation patterns, and thus suggest different neural substrates for different speech act types.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain basis of communicative actions in language

2016

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“…Relatedly, using the same paradigm, Claus ( 2015 ) investigated how verb gapping affects the motor system. Verb gapping is the omission of repeated instances of a verb from conjoined sentences, as indicated by the ‘[ ]’ in sentence (4).…”

Section: System L Ing : Linguistic Rules and Limentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Language Processing Recruits Modality Specific Brain Regions: It Is Not About Understanding Words, but About Modelling Situations

Cayol

Nazir

2020

Journal of Cognition

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Whether language comprehension requires the participation of brain structures that evolved for perception and action has been a subject of intense debate. While brain-imaging evidence for the involvement of such modality-specific regions has grown, the fact that lesions to these structures do not necessarily erase word knowledge has invited the conclusion that language-induced activity in these structures might not be essential for word recognition. Why language processing recruits these structures remains unanswered, however. Here, we examine the original findings from a slightly different perspective. We first consider the 'original' function of structures in modality-specific brain regions that are recruited by language activity. We propose that these structures help elaborate 'internal forward models' in motor control (c.f. emulators). Emulators are brain systems that capture the relationship between an action and its sensory consequences. During language processing emulators could thus allow accessing associative memories. We further postulate the existence of a linguistic system that exploits, in a rule-based manner, emulators and other nonlinguistic brain systems, to gain complementary (and redundant) information during language processing. Emulators are therefore just one of several sources of information. We emphasize that whether a given word-form triggers activity in modality-specific brain regions depends on the linguistic context and not on the word-form as such. The role of modality-specific systems in language processing is thus not to help understanding words but to model the verbally depicted situation by supplying memorized context information. We present a model derived from these assumptions and provide predictions and perspectives for future research.

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“…Accordingly, the response box was mounted vertically with the response buttons "up", "middle", and "down", requiring an upward-downward movement for responding (Kaup et al, 2012;Lachmair et al, 2016). Further variations looked at actions involving clock vs. counterclockwise turning movements (Claus, 2015;Taylor & Zwaan, 2008;Zwaan & Taylor, 2006). For instance, a study by Zwaan and Taylor (2006) presented participants with sentences such as "Jim tightened the lug nuts" involving a clockwise turning movement or "Liza opened the pickle jar" involving a counterclockwise turning movement.…”

Section: Variations Of Acementioning

confidence: 99%

The action-sentence compatibility effect (ACE) a benchmark finding for embodiment - A meta-analysis

Winter¹,

Dudschig²,

Kaup³

2022

Preprint

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The embodied account of language comprehension has been one of the most influentialtheoretical developments in the recent decades addressing the question how humanscomprehend and represent language. To examine its assumptions, many studies havemade use of behavioral paradigms involving basic compatibility effects. Theaction–sentence compatibility effect (ACE) is one of the most influential of thesecompatibility effects and is the most widely cited evidence for the assumptions of theembodied account of language comprehension. However, recently there have beendifficulties to extend or even to reliably replicate the ACE. The conflicting findingsconcerning the ACE and its extensions lead to the discussion whether the ACE isindeed a reliable effect or whether it might be the product of publication bias or otherdistorting research practices. In a first step we conducted a meta-analysis using arandom-effects model. This analysis revealed a small but significant effect size of theACE (d = .129, p = .007). A second meta-analytic approach supports these findings ofthe existence of an ACE (Fisher’s method: χ2 = 124.379, p < .001). Furthermore, thetask-parameter Delay occurred as a factor of interest in whether the ACE appears withpositive or negative effect direction. This meta-analysis further assessed for potentialpublication bias and suggests that there is bias in the ACE literature.

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Verb gapping: An action-gap compatibility study

Cited by 9 publications

References 76 publications

Brain basis of communicative actions in language

Brain basis of communicative actions in language

Why Language Processing Recruits Modality Specific Brain Regions: It Is Not About Understanding Words, but About Modelling Situations

The action-sentence compatibility effect (ACE) a benchmark finding for embodiment - A meta-analysis

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