An event-related potential observation of preposition processing in Chinese: Is N280 a specific component for Chinese prepositions?  

作　　者：Rongping Zhang Huanhai Fang Qifeng Jiang 

机构地区：[1]School of Foreign Languages, Huaibei Coal Industry Teachers College, Huaibei 235000, Anhui Province, China [2]Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Language Sciences and Neuro-cognition Engineering, Xuzhou 221009, Jiangsu Province, China [3]Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, China [4]Bioengineer Institute, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China

出　　处：《Neural Regeneration Research》2008年第9期1022-1025,共4页中国神经再生研究（英文版）

基　　金：National Social Science Foundation in China,No.03BYY013;The Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province,No."333" Project and QL200504

摘　　要：BACKGROUND： Studies have shown that closed-class words, such as prepositions and conjunctions, induce a left anterior negativity （N280）, indicating that N280 should be a specific component of the word category. OBJECTIVE： To observe if Chinese prepositions and verbs exhibit different linguistic functions, to determine whether they are processed by different neural systems, and to verify that N280 is a specific component. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： The observed neurolinguistics experiment was performed at Xuzhou Normal University between November and December 2006. PARTICIPANTS： Sixteen undergraduate students, comprising 8 females and 8 males, with no mental or neuropathological history, were selected. METHODS： A total of 15 verbs and prepositions were used as linguistic stimuli, and each verb and preposition was combined to produce four correct phrase collocations and four incorrect ones. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Event-related potentials were recorded in the subjects while they read correct or incorrect phases flashed upon a video screen. RESULTS： Both verbs and prepositions elicited negativity at the frontal site in a 230-330 ms window, as well as at the fronto-temporal and central sites in a 350-500 ms window. Neither exhibited significant differences in peak [F（1, 15） = 0.144, P = 0.710] and latency [F（1, 15） = 0.144, P= 0.710]. Both verbs and prepositions elicited negativity at the left and right hemisphere in a 270-400 ms window. CONCLUSION： There was no significant difference between Chinese prepositions and verbs in the neural system process and N280 was not the specific component for closed-class words.BACKGROUND： Studies have shown that closed-class words, such as prepositions and conjunctions, induce a left anterior negativity （N280）, indicating that N280 should be a specific component of the word category. OBJECTIVE： To observe if Chinese prepositions and verbs exhibit different linguistic functions, to determine whether they are processed by different neural systems, and to verify that N280 is a specific component. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： The observed neurolinguistics experiment was performed at Xuzhou Normal University between November and December 2006. PARTICIPANTS： Sixteen undergraduate students, comprising 8 females and 8 males, with no mental or neuropathological history, were selected. METHODS： A total of 15 verbs and prepositions were used as linguistic stimuli, and each verb and preposition was combined to produce four correct phrase collocations and four incorrect ones. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Event-related potentials were recorded in the subjects while they read correct or incorrect phases flashed upon a video screen. RESULTS： Both verbs and prepositions elicited negativity at the frontal site in a 230-330 ms window, as well as at the fronto-temporal and central sites in a 350-500 ms window. Neither exhibited significant differences in peak [F（1, 15） = 0.144, P = 0.710] and latency [F（1, 15） = 0.144, P= 0.710]. Both verbs and prepositions elicited negativity at the left and right hemisphere in a 270-400 ms window. CONCLUSION： There was no significant difference between Chinese prepositions and verbs in the neural system process and N280 was not the specific component for closed-class words.

关 键 词：Chinese words event-related potentials PREPOSITIONS SEMANTICS SYNTAX VERBS 

分 类 号：H13[语言文字—汉语]