Language and Attention

Question 1

What are the 2 mechanisms of joint attention? Describe their function briefly.

Answer 1

1. RJA (responding): interaction, sharing attention to an object, not exclusive to humans
2. IJA (initiating): later in development, infant starts sharing interest/pleasure, also by monkeys, but not as complex

Question 2

What does the social cognitive model describe? What may be problems with the model?

Answer 2

social attention there from
birth, perceptive joint attention and initiating
-> problems: social cognition not there from birth, starting with perceptive j.a. later followed by initiating it

Question 3

What does the attention-system model describe?

Answer 3

1. RJA and IJA system are put in place in the first month of life in different ways (anterior = initiating (more controlled), posterior = responsive j.a. (more perception included)
2. via interaction both system combined (needs stimuli)
3. social cognition evolved

Question 4

Where does cognition happen in the brain and what is the trick of the brain to create more surface?

Answer 4

cortex (outer brain layer), sulcus and gyrus for bigger surface

bonus knowledge:

• white matter -> connectivity
• grey matter -> perception

Question 5

In which hemisphere happens everything related to

language mostly?

Answer 5

left hemisphere

Question 6

Name the 4(+1) brain areas and their function (briefly).

Answer 6

1. frontal lobe: controlling, suppresses information, decision making
2. parietal lobe: syntax
3. temporal lobe: meaning, semantics
4. occipital lobe: vision
   +. sensory motor cortex (frontal/parietal lobe)

Question 7

Fill the gap:

Due to triangulation; the moment joint attention gets _________ language becomes acquired

Answer 7

initiated

Question 8

Is language considered automatic or controlled?

Answer 8

considered automatic:

language is modular (encapsulated), no inference with other processes, no attention required

Question 9

What does ERPs stand for?

Answer 9

Event related brain potentials

Question 10

How do ERPs get recorded?

Answer 10

cap (lot of electrodes) on scalp of participants, recording brain responses while participant see/hears stimulus, over and over to average response in order to see difference since brain is always active

Question 11

What is the most important fact about N400?

Answer 11

exclusive for language, important for language

in central-parietal brain area

Question 12

What does MMN stay for?

Answer 12

Mismatch-Negativity

Question 13

What does the MMN describe?

Answer 13

syntactic violations; detected automatically, no attention needed

Question 14

What is the function of the ELAN?

Answer 14

reflects implicit processing of category

note: discussed if it really exists

Question 15

What does fMRI stand for?

Answer 15

functional magnetic resonance system

Question 16

Do humans control semantic/syntactic processes?

Answer 16

Yes, since humans are able to place attention dependent on task at hand

Question 17

Do language and attention share neural networks?

Answer 17

yes

-> impairment in one of them shows impairment in other as well

Question 18

Which are the 2 proposes about how attention in reading is used?

Answer 18

1. serial processing: word after word (EZ model)
2. parallel processing: several words processes parallel (infer meaning by seeing words around)
   - > evidence for both

Question 19

Which function has priming considering semantic processing?

Answer 19

if word is seen more often, reaction is quicker activated

-> broken if noise in language