Brain potentials in the processing of complex sentences: an ERP study of control and raising constructions.
In the present study we made use of Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) to examine raising and subject control constructions in German. Our most salient result is that the ERPs elicited at the empty subject position of a raising construction are clearly different from those elicited at the corresponding position of an otherwise identical subject control construction, the former producing a stronger P600. We argue that this result provides an electrophysiological correlate of the theoretical distinction between NP trace and PRO.
Featherston
S
S
Department of Linguistic, University of Essex, Colchester, England.
Gross
M
M
Münte
T F
TF
Clahsen
H
H
D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors