title: Using the readiness potential of button-press and verbal response within spoken language processing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Even though research in turn-taking in spoken dialogues is now abundant, a typical EEG-signature associated with the anticipation of turn-ends has not yet been identified until now.
  
  
  METHODS
  The purpose of this study was to examine if readiness potentials (RP) can be used to study the anticipation of turn-ends by using it in a motoric finger movement and articulatory movement task. The goal was to determine the preconscious onset of turn-end anticipation in early, preconscious turn-end anticipation processes by the simultaneous registration of EEG measures (RP) and behavioural measures (anticipation timing accuracy, ATA). For our behavioural measures, we used both button-press and verbal response ("yes"). In the experiment, 30 subjects were asked to listen to auditorily presented utterances and press a button or utter a brief verbal response when they expected the end of the turn. During the task, a 32-channel-EEG signal was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the RPs during verbal- and button-press-responses developed similarly and had an almost identical time course: the RP signals started to develop 1170 vs. 1190 ms before the behavioural responses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Until now, turn-end anticipation is usually studied using behavioural methods, for instance by measuring the anticipation timing accuracy, which is a measurement that reflects conscious behavioural processes and is insensitive to preconscious anticipation processes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The similar time course of the recorded RP signals for both verbal- and button-press responses provide evidence for the validity of using RPs as an online marker for response preparation in turn-taking and spoken dialogue research.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurolinguistics Group, Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Collaborative Research Centre "Alignment in Communication" (SFB 673), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany. Electronic address: stefanie.jansen@uni-bielefeld.de.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurolinguistics Group, Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Collaborative Research Centre "Alignment in Communication" (SFB 673), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wesselmeier
authors.affiliation: Psycholinguistics Group, Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Collaborative Research Centre "Alignment in Communication" (SFB 673), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: de Ruiter
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurolinguistics Group, Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Collaborative Research Centre "Alignment in Communication" (SFB 673), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Horst M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Mueller
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D003265:Contingent Negative Variation / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Button-press and verbal responses; EEG; Event-related potential; Language processing; Turn-taking