Oscillatory Brain Responses Reflect Anticipation during Comprehension of Speech Acts in Spoken Dialog

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Rosa S GisladottirStephen C Levinson

Abstract

Everyday conversation requires listeners to quickly recognize verbal actions, so-calledspeech acts, from the underspecified linguistic code and prepare a relevant response within the tight time constraints of turn-taking. The goal of this study was to determine the time-course of speech act recognition by investigating oscillatory EEG activity during comprehension of spoken dialog. Participants listened to short, spoken dialogs with target utterances that delivered three distinct speech acts (Answers, Declinations, Pre-offers). The targets were identical across conditions at lexico-syntactic and phonetic/prosodic levels but differed in the pragmatic interpretation of the speech act performed. Speech act comprehension was associated with reduced power in the alpha/beta bands just prior to Declination speech acts, relative to Answers and Pre-offers. In addition, we observed reduced power in the theta band during the beginning of Declinations, relative to Answers. Based on the role of alpha and beta desynchronization in anticipatory processes, the results are taken to indicate that anticipation plays a role in speech act recognition. Anticipation of speech acts could be critical for efficient turn-taking, allowing interactants to ...Continue Reading

References

May 14, 1999·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·C Tallon-Baudry, O Bertrand
Nov 27, 1999·Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·G Pfurtscheller, F H Lopes da Silva
Feb 13, 2001·Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·M C BastiaansenH Spekreijse
Dec 18, 2001·International Journal of Psychophysiology : Official Journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·M C Bastiaansen, C H Brunia
May 8, 2002·The European Journal of Neuroscience·Ole Jensen, Claudia D Tesche
Nov 9, 2002·Science·R J Dolan
Mar 20, 2004·Science·Peter HagoortKarl Magnus Petersson
Mar 24, 2004·Cognition·P Indefrey, W J M Levelt
Aug 9, 2005·Brain and Language·Lea A HaldPeter Hagoort
Nov 18, 2005·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Patrik Vuilleumier
Oct 31, 2006·Progress in Brain Research·Bernhard Graimann, Gert Pfurtscheller
May 23, 2007·Journal of Neuroscience Methods·Eric Maris, Robert Oostenveld
Jun 19, 2007·Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·Emma M WhithamJohn O Willoughby
Aug 21, 2007·Nature Reviews. Neuroscience·Daniel L SchacterRandy L Buckner
Jun 17, 2009·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Moshe Bar
Jun 26, 2009·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Tanya StiversStephen C Levinson
Jun 30, 2010·BMC Neuroscience·Byoung-Kyong Min, Hae-Jeong Park
Oct 15, 2010·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Stephanie R JonesChristopher I Moore
Jan 22, 2011·Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience·Robert OostenveldJan-Mathijs Schoffelen
Feb 11, 2011·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Freek van EdeEric Maris
Jun 12, 2012·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Luc H Arnal, Anne-Lise Giraud
Oct 9, 2012·Brain and Language·Suzanne Dikker, Liina Pylkkänen
Nov 1, 2012·Frontiers in Psychology·Lilla Magyari, J P de Ruiter
Jul 5, 2013·PloS One·Nicola SpotornoIra A Noveck
Jul 13, 2013·Frontiers in Human Neuroscience·Joerg F Hipp, Markus Siegel
Jul 31, 2013·NeuroImage·Dora HermesNick F Ramsey
Jan 10, 2014·Journal of Memory and Language·Dale J BarrHarry J Tily
Jun 5, 2014·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Lilla MagyariStephen C Levinson
Nov 28, 2014·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Markus BauerRaymond J Dolan
Jul 1, 2015·Frontiers in Psychology·Stephen C Levinson, Francisco Torreira
Mar 15, 2016·Frontiers in Human Neuroscience·Ashley G LewisMarcel Bastiaansen
Jan 28, 2017·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Mante S Nieuwland, Andrea E Martin

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

May 19, 2020·Cognition & Emotion·Stanley A Donahoo, Vicky Tzuyin Lai
Aug 1, 2020·Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience·Anna ZammGünther Knoblich
Jun 18, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·Marzieh Sorati, Dawn Marie Behne
Oct 13, 2020·Language and Linguistics Compass·Yanina Prystauka, Ashley Glen Lewis
Nov 11, 2020·Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior·Simone GastaldonFrancesca Peressotti
Aug 28, 2021·Brain Sciences·Naomi NotaJudith Holler

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
PCA

Software Mentioned

FieldTrip
Pre
R
offers
lme4
Matlab
Declinations

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.