First Language Attrition Induces Changes in Online Morphosyntactic Processing and Re‐Analysis: An ERP Study of Number Agreement in Complex Italian Sentences

First language (L1) attrition in adulthood offers new insight on neuroplasticity and the role of language experience in shaping neurocognitive responses to language. Attriters are multilinguals for whom advancing L2 proficiency comes at the cost of the L1, as they experience a shift in exposure and dominance (e.g., due to immigration). To date, the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying L1 attrition are largely unexplored. Using event‐related potentials (ERPs), we examined L1‐Italian grammatical processing in 24 attriters and 30 Italian native‐controls. We assessed whether (a) attriters differed from non‐attriting native speakers in their online detection and re‐analysis/repair of number agreement violations, and whether (b) differences in processing were modulated by L1‐proficiency. To test both local and non‐local agreement violations, we manipulated agreement between three inflected constituents and examined ERP responses on two of these (subject, verb , modifier ). Our findings revealed group differences in amplitude, scalp distribution, and duration of LAN/N400 + P600 effects. We discuss these differences as reflecting influence of attriters’ L2‐English, as well as shallower online sentence repair processes than in non‐attriting native speakers. ERP responses were also predicted by L1‐Italian proficiency scores, with smaller N400/P600 amplitudes in lower proficiency individuals. Proficiency only modulated P600 amplitude between 650 and 900 ms, whereas the late P600 (beyond 900 ms) depended on group membership and amount of L1 exposure within attriters. Our study is the first to show qualitative and quantitative differences in ERP responses in attriters compared to non‐attriting native speakers. Our results also emphasize that proficiency predicts language processing profiles, even in native‐speakers, and that the P600 should not be considered a monolithic component.     

Categories of Large Numbers in Line Estimation

How do people stretch their understanding of magnitude from the experiential range to the very large quantities and ranges important in science, geopolitics, and mathematics? This paper empirically evaluates how and whether people make use of numerical categories when estimating relative magnitudes of numbers across many orders of magnitude. We hypothesize that people use scale words—thousand, million, billion—to carve the large number line into categories, stretching linear responses across items within each category. If so, discontinuities in position and response time are expected near the boundaries between categories. In contrast to previous work (Landy, Silbert, & Goldin, 2013) that suggested only that a minority of college undergraduates employed categorical boundaries, we find that discontinuities near category boundaries occur in most or all participants, but that accurate and inaccurate participants respond in opposite ways to category boundaries. Accurate participants highlight contrasts within a category, whereas inaccurate participants adjust their responses toward category centers.     

On the masking and disclosure of unconscious elaborate processing. A reply to Van Opstal, Reynvoet, and Verguts (2005)

We have recently argued that unconscious numerical stimuli might activate responses by a match with prespecified action trigger codes (action trigger account) rather than by semantic prime processing (elaborate processing account). [Van Opstal, F., Reynvoet, B., and Verguts, T. (2005). How to trigger elaborate processing? A comment on Kunde, Kiesel, and Hoffmann (2003). Cognition] replicate one piece of evidence for our inference—an inefficiency of primes not presented in target format (verbal or Arabic). But this was found only with letter masks and not with hash masks. The authors conclude that letter masks block unconscious prime processing, and that elaborate processing can account for unconscious priming effects if all its (sometimes subtle) side conditions are considered. We agree that the type of mask in general is an important factor in priming studies but we note that (i) the authors' mask-blocking hypothesis is not well supported by the data, (ii) clear evidence for semantic prime processing in their study is lacking and, (iii) differences in mask efficiency (rather than mask type) might account for the conflicting results. To corroborate this inference we replicate van Opstal et al.'s results with letter masks but reduced mask efficiency. Altogether their data do not challenge the action-trigger account nor do they strongly support the elaborate processing view.     

不同文章难度条件下文化特征类型熟悉度对阅读理解的影响

该研究考察了非英语专业具有不同英语语言水平学习者在不同难度条件下两种文化特征熟悉度对阅读理解的影响。研究发现：（1）语言水平高,或对材料背景熟悉的学习者可通过调用熟悉的文化背景知识帮助阅读理解,其得分均高于低水平,或对材料不熟悉的学习者;（2）在熟悉的文化背景条件下,当材料难度与学习者语言水平基本一致时,语言水平低的学习者也可较好地运用熟悉的文化背景知识帮助阅读理解。实验结果表明：文化特征的内容熟悉度和英语语言水平（或文章难度）对阅读理解起着重要作用,语言水平越高,作用越大。     

时间顺序关系对语言理解的影响

通过2个实验探讨在语言理解中时间顺序相关性(顺时序、反时序、不相关)和时间间隔(200ms、500ms、1000ms)在日常事件认识中的作用。实验采用关系——认知范式(relarion-recognition paradigm)。结果表明：被试在有明显时间信息影响下,优先对将来取向(顺时序)的事件进行加工处理。对时间上不相关的事件比对顺时序和反时序的事件加工得快而准。但在无明显时间信息影响时,首先受到本身词义的影响,继而受到隐含的时间信息的影响。     

视角在时间语言理解中的影响

语言学家在英语的时间语言表达中发现了隐含其中的两种不同运动视角：一种是从过去指向将来的自我运动（自我运动视角moving-ego）;另一种是从将来指向过去的时间运动（时间运动视角moving-time）。心理学家McGlone＆Harding报告了在英语中视角对时问语言理解的作用,并提出人们存在MT视角的偏向。本文报告了两个实验,实验1直接运用和修改McGlone＆Harding的范式在汉语文本探讨视角对时间语言理解的影响。实验2运用信号检测理论来验证了人们存在MT视角偏向。     

当代西方语篇阅读信息加工理论模型的演进

在探讨阅读过程的信息加工活动的过程中产生了多种理论与模式．当代西方语篇阅读研究的建构一整合模型、建构主义模型和记忆基础模型沿着Kintsch提出的语篇表征三个层次理沦．从各自不同的角度提出了对语篇阅读信息加工过程的看法,建构整合模型主要考察了语篇表征中课文基础表征建构的信息活动过程．建构主义模型和记忆基础模型主要探讨了语篇表征中情境模型的建构和更新过程。     

左右半球在语篇理解中的协同作用

通过2例一侧颞叶损伤患者研究了一侧颞叶损伤及两侧半球的协同作用对语篇理解的影响,并探讨了发生此种影响的可能机制。结果表明一侧颞叶的损伤将导致患者语篇水平的理解障碍及语言推理能力的下降;提示语篇理解需双侧半球的协同作用,而推理能力下降可能是引发语篇理解障碍的原因之一。     

中小学生阅读寓言过程的眼动研究

研究用眼动记录仪对小五、初二和高二年级各20名视力正常学生阅读难、易两种寓言材料的眼动过程进行了记录。结果发现：1．无论是对同一难度寓言阅读理解成绩的差异还是眼动模式的差异,在小五与初二之间显著,在初二与高二之间不显著,这说明对寓言真正理解的年龄在初中,高中只是进一步完善阶段;2材料难度对不同年级学生的眼动模式有一定影响．分别影响小学生的眼跳距离、初中生的注视次数和高中生的注视点持续时间。     

4-6岁儿童数学认知中的多元表征研究

本研究以早期儿童数学认知中的数、数运算以及模式三个维度为切入点,对来自上海市的120名4-6岁儿童采用个别面试法考察其数学认知中的多元表征,采用描述性统计、多元方差分析、卡方检验等方法探查儿童多元表征的发展特点、相互关系及影响因素。结果表明：4-6岁儿童已具备初步的数、数运算、模式的多元表征能力,其中数的多元表征能力最好;4-6岁儿童在数、模式的多元表征中未出现明显的年龄差异与性别差异,在数运算多元表征中有明显的年龄差异,无性别差异;儿童使用的表征形式数量随年龄增长相应增加,且更倾向于使用描绘性表征中的实物情境表征与教具模型表征;4-6岁儿童数、数运算、模式的多元表征能力之间存在一定的相关;除年龄之外,已有学习经验、学习材料的呈现样式也是影响儿童多元表征的可能性因素。