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Abstract:
Recent ERP-research has correlated the processing of
syntactic information with a late positivity (P600) which is often
preceeded by a left anterior negativity either present around 150
ms (ELAN) or around 400 ms (LAN). With the exception of one study
(Neville et al., 1991), all studies using word-by-word visual
presentation observed the LAN whereas all studies using auditory
presentation found an ELAN. As the ELAN-component is viewed to
reflect fast automatic first-pass parsing processes, it may be
primarily observable when the input can be processed fast, as is
the case in auditory presentation.Processing visually presented
input with a high visual contrast might also favour fast first
pass-parsing even when words are presented one at the time. Sixteen
subjects were presented with correct and syntactically incorrect
(i.e. word-category violation) German sentences either with a high
or a low visual contrast (black words on a gray background).
Both contrast conditions elicited a P600. The ELAN was found in the
high contast condition but not in the low contrast condition where
a LAN was observed.Taken together, these data indicate that the
latency of the component reflecting first-pass parsing is affected
by input parameters.
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