Meaning composition in minimal phrasal contexts: distinct ERP effects of intensionality and denotation

A central question in neurolinguistics is how the brain computes the meaning of complex expressions from the meanings of the parts. We investigate adjective–noun composition using EEG, focusing on the effects of the intensional and denotational semantics of the modifying adjective. We used NPs from 4 semantic conditions in Bokmål Norwegian: privative modal (e.g. “fake president”), privative temporal (“former president”), non-privative modal (“real president”), and non-privative temporal (“current president”). In 2 non-semantic conditions, the adjective was replaced by either a non-word or a pseudo-word. The composition contrast (semantic vs non-semantic trials) revealed a larger P600 component after the noun in the semantic trials. The effects of intensionality (modal vs temporal adjective) were found in the N400 time frame, while the effects of denotation (privative vs non-privative adjective) were found in a post-N400 window. We discuss some implications of these results for neurocognitive theories of compositional language processing.

神经语言学（neurolinguistics）的核心议题之一，是大脑如何从各组成成分的语义推导出复杂表达式的整体语义。本研究采用脑电图（EEG）探究形名组合加工机制，重点关注修饰性形容词的内涵语义与外延语义效应。本研究采用挪威博克马尔语（Bokmål Norwegian）中的4类语义条件名词短语（noun phrase，简称NP）：否定性模态类（例如"假总统（fake president）"）、否定性时间类（例如"前总统（former president）"）、非否定性模态类（例如"真正的总统（real president）"）以及非否定性时间类（例如"现任总统（current president）"）。此外设置2类非语义对照条件：将修饰性形容词替换为非词（non-word）或伪词（pseudo-word）。形名组合加工对比（语义试次与非语义试次）结果显示，语义试次中名词后时段可观测到幅值更大的P600成分。内涵语义效应（模态形容词与时间形容词）出现在N400时段，而外延语义效应（否定性形容词与非否定性形容词）则出现在N400后时间窗。本研究最后讨论了上述结果对组合式语言加工神经认知理论的若干启示。