Syntactic processing of Hebrew sentences: ERP measures

Author(s): Breznitz, Z.

Journal/Book: Genet Soc Gen Psychol Monogr. 1999; 125: 1319 Eighteenth St NW, Washington, DC 20036-1802, USA. Heldref Publications. 173-191.

Abstract: The present study was designed to investigate whether the syntactic functions of words systematically influence the amplitudes and latencies of event-related potential (ERP) components in the reading of Hebrew sentences. Participants were 15 male native Hebrew-speaking college students aged 18-27 years. The processing of normal word strings in terms of words' lexical-morphological and syntactic characteristics was examined during word-by-word readings of sentences having subject-verb-object (SVO) syntactic structure. Data revealed that N100 and P300 ERP components were sensitive to internal processes of syntactic parsing during sentence-reading comprehension, particularly to some components of identification and analysis of the words in accordance with their grammatical roles. Identification of words with definite syntactic functions seemed to be done by means of the words' lexical-morphological characteristics.

Note: Article Leikin M, Univ Haifa, Fac Educ, Lab Neurocognit Res, Mt Carmel, IL-31905 Haifa, ISRAEL

Keyword(s): BRAIN POTENTIALS; EYE-MOVEMENTS; WORDS; CONTEXT; COMPREHENSION; NOUNS; VERBS

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