Skip to main content

Complement set reference after implicitly small quantities: An event-related potentials study

Ingram, Joanne, Ferguson, Heather J. (2017) Complement set reference after implicitly small quantities: An event-related potentials study. Discourse Processes, 55 (2). pp. 146-156. ISSN 0163-853X. E-ISSN 1532-6950. (doi:10.1080/0163853X.2017.1330034) (KAR id:60192)

Abstract

An anaphoric reference to the complement-set is a reference to the set which does not fulfil the predicate of the preceding sentence. Preferred reference to the complement-set has been found in eye movements when a character’s implicit desire for a high amount has been denied using a negative emotion. We recorded ERPs to examine if, when a character’s desire is denied with a negative emotion, the complement-set is immediately available for reference. Analysis of the N400 over posterior regions showed that while readers favoured the reference-set following a positive emotion, there was no difference in responses between complement-set and reference-set references following a negative emotion. Processing of a complement-set reference did lead to an overall increase in negativity of the N400, suggesting that interpreting a complement-set reference incurred a general processing cost. This study provides novel data on the range of circumstances under which the complement-set is available.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1080/0163853X.2017.1330034
Uncontrolled keywords: complement set, pronoun resolution, negation, N400, emotion words
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Funders: [37325] UNSPECIFIED
Depositing User: Heather Ferguson
Date Deposited: 03 Feb 2017 15:03 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2024 19:23 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/60192 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Ferguson, Heather J..

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1575-4820
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.