Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2010, Vol. 14 ›› Issue (26): 4805-4808.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-8225.2010.26.013

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Event-related potential on the function of construction factor in Chinese processing

Yu Liang1, 2, Liu Jun-fei1, 2, Geng Li-bo1, 2, Feng Shi-wen1, 2, Yang Yi-ming1, 2   

  1. 1Key Laboratory of Language Sciences and Neurocognitive Engineering of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou  221009, Jiangsu Province, China;
    2Institute of Linguistics, Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou  221009, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Online:2010-06-25 Published:2010-06-25
  • Contact: Yang Yi-ming, Professor, Doctoral supervisor, Key Laboratory of Language Sciences and Neurocognitive Engineering of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou 221009, Jiangsu Province, China; Institute of Linguistics, Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou 221009, Jiangsu Province, China
  • About author:Yu Liang, Master, Assistant, Key Laboratory of Language Sciences and Neurocognitive Engineering of Jiangsu Province, Xuzhou 221009, Jiangsu Province, China; Institute of Linguistics, Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou 221009, Jiangsu Province, China yuliang207@ 163.com
  • Supported by:

    the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30740040*;
    the Key Program of National Social Science Foundation, No. 01AYY004*;
    the National Social Science Foundation, No. 09CYY016*;
    the Philosophy Social Science Key Program of Jiangsu Provincial Higher Education Institute, No. 07SJB740006*;
    the Scientific Research Innovation Program of Postgraduate of Jiangsu Provincial Ordinary Higher Education Institutes in 2009, No. CX09S_011R*;
    the Key Program of Scientific Research Foundation, Xuzhou Normal University, No. 08XWA05*;
    Postgraduate Innovation Key Program of Xuzhou Normal University, No. 08YLA003*

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Abstract:

BACKGROUND: In recent years, with the rise of construction grammar theory, the function of constuction factor in language processing attracts more and more attention. However, whether these construction views agree well with the true situation in human’s brain, in other words whether these theories have neurophysiological basis requires verification by experiments of neurolinguistics.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the function of constuction factor in Chinese processing with event-related potential (ERP) measures.
METHODS: A total of 18 Chinese college students aged 21-24 years, were selected. There were 176 sentences as stimulating materials which included two kinds of correct Chinese sentences and two kinds of corresponding wrong sentences. Each word/character was presented for 300 ms with 400 ms interval. And the interval between two sentences was 2 000 ms. Subjects were asked to read each sentences presented on the screen and to decide whether these sentences true or false. The subjects responded by pushing buttons with left hand for “yes” and right hand for “no”. The reaction time and accuracy were recorded. The brain electricity was recorded by American Neuroscan electric conduction evoked potential workstation. N400 was used as an index of implicit processing mechanism, and P600 was used as an index of explicit processing mechanism.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There were no differences in N400 at the end of these two kinds of sentences, but as for LPCs, different sentence structures elicited different LPCs. The average amplitude of complicated sentences was higher than that of simple sentences. Results show that in Chinese processing, construction factor plays a very important role at the later integrating process of different structure sentences. Different structures elicit different LPCs at the end of a sentence. The LPCs at the end of a sentence can be used as an index to judge construction mental reality.

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