Although the hemispheres likely carry out different processes during reading, currently little is known about how the consistency effect and the difficulty of the task influences hemispheric processing during text comprehension. In the... more
Although the hemispheres likely carry out different processes during reading, currently little is known about how the consistency effect and the difficulty of the task influences hemispheric processing during text comprehension. In the current study participants read texts promoting an inference, and performed a lexical decision task to inference-related targets presented to the left visual field-right hemisphere or the right visual field-left hemisphere. To manipulate the consistency of information targets were either consistent or inconsistent with the inference. To manipulate difficulty the antecedent and its referent were either separated by two sentences (i.e., the less-difficult condition) or four sentences (i.e., the more-difficult condition). In the consistent condition facilitation was greater in the left hemisphere than the right hemisphere. In the inconsistent condition facilitation was greater in the right hemisphere than the left hemisphere. When analyses were combined ...
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Visual perception, Reading, Laterality, and 15 moreLanguage Comprehension, Visual Cortex, Right Hemisphere Functions, Humans, Cerebral Cortex, Comprehension, Female, Male, Reaction Time, Young Adult, Task Difficulty, Text comprehension, Visual Fields, Left Hemisphere, and Functional Laterality
Although it has been consistently shown that readers generate bridging inferences during story comprehension, little is currently known about the neural substrates involved when people generate inferences and how these substrates shift... more
Although it has been consistently shown that readers generate bridging inferences during story comprehension, little is currently known about the neural substrates involved when people generate inferences and how these substrates shift with factors that facilitate or impede inferences, such as whether inferences are highly predictable or unpredictable. In the current study, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal increased for highly predictable inferences (relative to events that were previously explicitly stated) bilaterally in both the superior temporal gyri and the inferior frontal gyri. Interestingly, high working memory capacity comprehenders, who are most likely to generate inferences during story comprehension, showed greater signal increases than did low working memory capacity comprehenders in the right superior temporal gyrus and right inferior frontal gyrus. When comprehenders needed to draw unpredictable inferences in a story, fMRI signal increased relative ...
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Psycholinguistics, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Reading, and 15 moreCognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mapping, Humans, Cerebral Cortex, Comprehension, Female, Male, Young Adult, Oxygen, Adult, Inferior frontal gyrus, Working Memory Capacity, Short Term Memory, Neurosciences, and Predictive value of tests
ABSTRACT Abstract
To successfully understand a text, readers often mentally represent the shape of an object described in a text (e.g., creating a mental image of a sliced tomato when reading about a tomato on a pizza). However, it is currently unclear how... more
To successfully understand a text, readers often mentally represent the shape of an object described in a text (e.g., creating a mental image of a sliced tomato when reading about a tomato on a pizza). However, it is currently unclear how the cerebral hemispheres contribute to these mental images during reading. In the current study, participants were presented with sentences consistent with the shape of an object (i.e., the match condition), sentences inconsistent with the shape of an object (i.e., the mismatch condition), or sentences that did not specify the shape of an object (i.e., the neutral condition). Participants read each sentence and then viewed an image of an object that was quickly presented to either the right visual field-left hemisphere (rvf-LH) or the left visual field-right hemisphere (lvf-RH). Results indicate that when the shape of an object was implicitly described in the text (in Experiment 1), response times for images presented to the rvf-LH were longer in t...
Research Interests:
In this study, we investigated whether the left and right hemispheres are differentially involved in causal inference generation. Participants read short inference-promoting texts that described either familiar or less-familiar scenarios.... more
In this study, we investigated whether the left and right hemispheres are differentially involved in causal inference generation. Participants read short inference-promoting texts that described either familiar or less-familiar scenarios. After each text, they performed a lexical decision on a letter string (which sometimes constituted an inference-related word) presented directly to the left or right hemisphere. Response-time results indicated that hemisphere of direct presentation interacted with type of inference scenario. When test stimuli were presented directly to the left hemisphere, lexical decisions were facilitated following familiar but not following less-familiar inference scenarios, whereas when test stimuli were presented directly to the right hemisphere, facilitation was observed in both familiar and less-familiar conditions. Thus, inferences may be generated in different ways depending on which of two dissociable neural subsystems underlies the activation of backgrou...
Research Interests: Semantics, Vocabulary, Attention, Reading, Semantic association, and 18 moreImagination, Causal Inference, Right Hemisphere Functions, Humans, Cerebral Cortex, Comprehension, Concept Formation, Female, Male, Reaction Time, Lexical Decision, Hemispheric Asymmetry, Stimuli, Text comprehension, Adult, Short Term Memory, Left Hemisphere, and Background Knowledge
In monolinguals, the right hemisphere plays a key role when readers process multiple meanings of ambiguous words and when text weakly leads to a specific outcome (i.e., is weakly constrained). However, currently little is known about the... more
In monolinguals, the right hemisphere plays a key role when readers process multiple meanings of ambiguous words and when text weakly leads to a specific outcome (i.e., is weakly constrained). However, currently little is known about the influence of word meanings and sentential constraint in the hemispheres of bilinguals. Using a divided visual field paradigm, we investigated how cognates, interlingual homographs, and control words (within strongly and weakly constrained sentences) influence hemispheric processing in bilinguals. In the current study, both languages showed facilitation in the right hemisphere, whereas only the language currently in use showed facilitation in the left hemisphere. In addition, bilinguals (unlike monolinguals) processed strongly constrained targets more quickly than weakly constrained targets in both hemispheres. Thus, bilinguals and monolinguals process shared meanings of words similarly in the right hemisphere, but process sentential constraint diffe...
Research Interests:
In this study, we investigated hemispheric differences in the generation of bridging and predictive inferences. Participants read texts that provided either strong or weak causal constraints for a particular bridging (Experiment 1) or... more
In this study, we investigated hemispheric differences in the generation of bridging and predictive inferences. Participants read texts that provided either strong or weak causal constraints for a particular bridging (Experiment 1) or predictive (Experiment 2) inference and performed a lexical decision task to inference-related targets presented to the left or the right hemisphere. Facilitation for strongly constrained bridging and predictive inferences was found in both hemispheres. In contrast, facilitation for weakly constrained inferences was stronger in the right than in the left hemisphere for both bridging and predictive inferences, although for the latter there was some facilitation in the left hemisphere as well. We also considered whether these effects differ as a function of the working memory capacity of the reader. High working memory capacity readers showed greater facilitation for strongly constrained inferences than for weakly constrained inferences in both hemispher...
Research Interests:
In a classic semantic priming study (Beeman et al., 1994), participants showed a naming advantage for strongly related targets compared to weakly related targets in the left hemisphere, whereas no difference in naming advantage was found... more
In a classic semantic priming study (Beeman et al., 1994), participants showed a naming advantage for strongly related targets compared to weakly related targets in the left hemisphere, whereas no difference in naming advantage was found between strongly and weakly related targets in the right hemisphere. However, it is unclear how the type of task and individual differences influence this hemispheric activation. In the current study participants completed a lexical decision task when presented with strongly, weakly, and unrelated words in each visual field-hemisphere. A left hemisphere advantage was evident for strongly and weakly related words compared to unrelated words and a right hemisphere advantage was evident for strongly related words compared to weakly related and unrelated words. Additionally, high working memory capacity participants responded more accurately to strongly related words than weakly or unrelated words in the right hemisphere, whereas low working memory capa...
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Laterality, Language, Language Comprehension, and 15 moreRight Hemisphere Functions, Humans, Cues, Comprehension, Female, Male, Reaction Time, Young Adult, Semantic Information, Semantic Priming, Working Memory Capacity, Short Term Memory, Left Hemisphere, Visual Field, and Individual Difference
Recent findings suggest that the right hemisphere plays a key role when readers comprehend figurative language. However, it is currently unclear how specific types of figurative language, such as idioms (e.g., “to bury the hatchet”), are... more
Recent findings suggest that the right hemisphere plays a key role when readers comprehend figurative language. However, it is currently unclear how specific types of figurative language, such as idioms (e.g., “to bury the hatchet”), are processed in the right and left cerebral hemispheres. Prior research suggests that a reader's previous exposure to an idiomatic phrase (i.e., the level of familiarity) and the plausibility of an idiom (i.e., the level of ambiguity) influence how idioms are processed. To investigate how familiarity influences the hemispheric processing of idioms (Experiment 1), participants read texts containing familiar or less familiar idioms and made lexical decisions to related target words presented to the left visual field-right hemisphere or to the right visual field-left hemisphere. To investigate how ambiguity influences the hemispheric processing of idioms (Experiment 2), participants read texts containing high or low ambiguity idioms and completed a le...
Research Interests:
To successfully understand a text, readers often mentally represent the shape of an object described in a text (e.g., creating a mental image of a sliced tomato when reading about a tomato on a pizza). However, it is currently unclear how... more
To successfully understand a text, readers often mentally represent the shape of an object described in a text (e.g., creating a mental image of a sliced tomato when reading about a tomato on a pizza). However, it is currently unclear how the cerebral hemispheres contribute to these mental images during reading. In the current study, participants were presented with sentences consistent with the shape of an object (i.e., the match condition), sentences inconsistent with the shape of an object (i.e., the mismatch condition), or sentences that did not specify the shape of an object (i.e., the neutral condition). Participants read each sentence and then viewed an image of an object that was quickly presented to either the right visual field-left hemisphere (rvf-LH) or the left visual field-right hemisphere (lvf-RH). Results indicate that when the shape of an object was implicitly described in the text (in Experiment 1), response times for images presented to the rvf-LH were longer in t...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
In this event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, participants listened to and comprehended short stories implying or explicitly stating inference events. The aim of this study was to examine the neural mechanisms... more
In this event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, participants listened to and comprehended short stories implying or explicitly stating inference events. The aim of this study was to examine the neural mechanisms that underlie inference generation, a process essential to successful comprehension. We observed distinct patterns of increased fMRI signal for implied over explicit events at two critical points
Research Interests: Cognitive Science, Semantics, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Working Memory, Consciousness, and 19 moreAdolescent, Causal Inference, Brain Mapping, Right Hemisphere Functions, Brain, Humans, Comprehension, Female, Male, Cognitive Process, Semantic Processing, Text comprehension, Oxygen, Adult, Inferior frontal gyrus, Working Memory Capacity, Left Hemisphere, Critical Point, and Neurosciences
Research Interests:
In a classic semantic priming study (Beeman et al., 1994), participants showed a naming advantage for strongly related targets compared to weakly related targets in the left hemisphere, whereas no difference in naming advantage was found... more
In a classic semantic priming study (Beeman et al., 1994), participants showed a naming advantage for strongly related targets compared to weakly related targets in the left hemisphere, whereas no difference in naming advantage was found between strongly and weakly related targets in the right hemisphere. However, it is unclear how the type of task and individual differences influence this hemispheric activation. In the current study participants completed a lexical decision task when presented with strongly, weakly, and unrelated words in each visual field-hemisphere. A left hemisphere advantage was evident for strongly and weakly related words compared to unrelated words and a right hemisphere advantage was evident for strongly related words compared to weakly related and unrelated words. Additionally, high working memory capacity participants responded more accurately to strongly related words than weakly or unrelated words in the right hemisphere, whereas low working memory capacity participants showed no difference between these conditions in the right hemisphere. Thus, the type of semantic priming task and working memory capacity seem to influence the hemispheric processing of strongly and weakly related information.
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Laterality, Language, Language Comprehension, and 15 moreRight Hemisphere Functions, Humans, Cues, Comprehension, Female, Male, Reaction Time, Young Adult, Semantic Information, Semantic Priming, Working Memory Capacity, Short Term Memory, Left Hemisphere, Visual Field, and Individual Difference
Although the hemispheres likely carry out different processes during reading, currently little is known about how the consistency effect and the difficulty of the task influences hemispheric processing during text comprehension. In the... more
Although the hemispheres likely carry out different processes during reading, currently little is known about how the consistency effect and the difficulty of the task influences hemispheric processing during text comprehension. In the current study participants read texts promoting an inference, and performed a lexical decision task to inference-related targets presented to the left visual field-right hemisphere or the right visual field-left hemisphere. To manipulate the consistency of information targets were either consistent or inconsistent with the inference. To manipulate difficulty the antecedent and its referent were either separated by two sentences (i.e., the less-difficult condition) or four sentences (i.e., the more-difficult condition). In the consistent condition facilitation was greater in the left hemisphere than the right hemisphere. In the inconsistent condition facilitation was greater in the right hemisphere than the left hemisphere. When analyses were combined across conditions, consistent targets showed greater facilitation in the left hemisphere than in the right hemisphere. Interestingly the level of difficulty did not mediate how the hemispheres process inferences. The current findings suggest that the consistency of information, rather than the difficulty of a task, primarily influences inference generation in the cerebral hemispheres.
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Visual perception, Reading, Laterality, and 15 moreLanguage Comprehension, Visual Cortex, Right Hemisphere Functions, Humans, Cerebral Cortex, Comprehension, Female, Male, Reaction Time, Young Adult, Task Difficulty, Text comprehension, Visual Fields, Left Hemisphere, and Functional Laterality
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Psycholinguistics, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Reading, and 15 moreCognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mapping, Humans, Cerebral Cortex, Comprehension, Female, Male, Young Adult, Oxygen, Adult, Inferior frontal gyrus, Working Memory Capacity, Short Term Memory, Neurosciences, and Predictive value of tests
Research Interests:
In monolinguals, the right hemisphere plays a key role when readers process multiple meanings of ambiguous words and when text weakly leads to a specific outcome (i.e., is weakly constrained). However, currently little is known about the... more
In monolinguals, the right hemisphere plays a key role when readers process multiple meanings of ambiguous words and when text weakly leads to a specific outcome (i.e., is weakly constrained). However, currently little is known about the influence of word meanings and sentential constraint in the hemispheres of bilinguals. Using a divided visual field paradigm, we investigated how cognates, interlingual homographs, and control words (within strongly and weakly constrained sentences) influence hemispheric processing in bilinguals. In the current study, both languages showed facilitation in the right hemisphere, whereas only the language currently in use showed facilitation in the left hemisphere. In addition, bilinguals (unlike monolinguals) processed strongly constrained targets more quickly than weakly constrained targets in both hemispheres. Thus, bilinguals and monolinguals process shared meanings of words similarly in the right hemisphere, but process sentential constraint differently in the hemispheres.