Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
under embargo until 2025-07-31
2025-07-31T00:00:00Z
While multiple models of language production exist, it remains difficult to find conclusive evidence for one or the other model. The present study is one of the first to incorporate both behavioral...Show moreWhile multiple models of language production exist, it remains difficult to find conclusive evidence for one or the other model. The present study is one of the first to incorporate both behavioral data and EEG data in a native Dutch noun phrase production task to investigate the processing of grammatical gender. We used a picture-word interference paradigm in which speakers had to name a picture while being distracted by a superimposed word. The distractors were manipulated for grammatical gender congruency with and semantic relatedness to the picture names. In separate blocks, participants had to produce either bare nouns, or determiner noun constructions. We found a robust effect of the semantic relatedness effect in the behavioral data, in which targets belonging to the same semantic category as the distractor were named significantly later than unrelated targets. The EEG data on the semantic relatedness effect were less clear, possibly due to opposing ERP components in (partly) overlapping time windows. More importantly, we replicated the gender congruency effect in reaction times, showing that naming latencies were longer for gender-incongruent trials than for congruent trials. This behavioral effect disappeared in bare noun naming. The EEG data showed similar results, in which a more positive peak was found between 385-585 milliseconds for incongruent than for congruent trials, again only in the determiner noun block. The result seems to indicate a P300 effect rather than the expected enhanced N400, suggesting higher conflict resolution processes for incongruent trials. The absence of the gender effect in bare noun naming in both data types suggests that grammatical gender is not automatically accessed or selected in Dutch noun (phrase) production. This in turn has implications for speech production models.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
closed access
Communication involves understanding the difference between our own perspective (visual perspective, beliefs, and knowledge) and that of an addressee. Previous research found that knowledge about a...Show moreCommunication involves understanding the difference between our own perspective (visual perspective, beliefs, and knowledge) and that of an addressee. Previous research found that knowledge about a speaker’s background (e.g., stereotypes, accent, etc.) affects online language processing in listeners. However, the role and automaticity of Theory of Mind (ToM) – the ability to attribute beliefs to someone - remains unclear. Typically, we expect individuals to speak according to their beliefs and perspectives. But what if their utterances mismatch with what we expect them to know? We designed a novel perspective-taking paradigm in a virtual environment, which manipulates an agent’s belief. We then recorded electroencephalographical data from participants, while they listened to the agent making statements either matching or mismatching their false or true beliefs. Specifically, we analyzed the N400: a component, which amplitude scales with the unexpectedness of a content word. We predicted that statements mismatching an agent’s true belief (e.g., seeing a car and saying “That’s a screwdriver”) would result in larger N400 components, compared to statements matching the true beliefs. We found strong evidence for this prediction. Further, we predicted that knowledge of an agent’s unawareness that the state of affairs has changed (i.e., a false belief) is considered when interpreting their statements. We found indirect evidence for this: statements matching their false beliefs do not elicit an N400. However, statements mismatching their false beliefs (e.g., agent says something they couldn’t have known) neither are marked by the N400. Results support ToM’s role in interpreting language.Show less
Despite the increase of secularism, implicit religious and spiritual (jointly termed “supernatural”) reasoning persists even in individuals who identify as nonbelievers; however, previous studies...Show moreDespite the increase of secularism, implicit religious and spiritual (jointly termed “supernatural”) reasoning persists even in individuals who identify as nonbelievers; however, previous studies have used behavioral implicit measures to examine differences between implicit and explicit belief. The aim of this research was to investigate these differences in atheist and spiritual-but-not-religious (SBNR) individuals using event-related potentials, and explore the N400-effect as an implicit marker of (un)belief. We conducted two studies: Study 1A (N = 101) examined supernatural attitudes and study 1B (N = 109) examined supernatural beliefs. Participants were presented with positive/negative (1A) and belief/disbelief (1B) religious, spiritual, and control statements, and were asked to provide their explicit evaluation (i.e., agree/disagree) of the statements while ERPs were being recorded. The results showed inconclusive evidence of the utility of the N400 as an implicit measure of belief. Specifically, we did not find significant differences between atheists and SBNR individuals in the N400- amplitude between positive and negative (1A), or belief and disbelief (1B) religious, spiritual, and control statements. In light of the lack of statistically significant results, exploratory analyses were performed, and implications and limitations of our study, as well as suggestions for future research, were discussed.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2020-03-21T00:00:00Z
In an experimental Event-Related Potential (ERP) study amongst 7 highly-educated Dutch speaking females (aged 21-36), the neurological processing of congruent and incongruent picture-word...Show moreIn an experimental Event-Related Potential (ERP) study amongst 7 highly-educated Dutch speaking females (aged 21-36), the neurological processing of congruent and incongruent picture-word combinations was investigated. Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were obtained prior to and after a single reading of the picture storybooks. Behavioral results showed that participants were better able to decide whether a picture word combination was congruent or incongruent after they knew the story context from which the words and pictures were taken. Furthermore, ERP data analysis revealed the occurrence of an N400 (peak related to semantic incongruencies) following the presentation of incongruent picture-word combinations. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.Show less
