Pre-attentive phonotactic processing
Sponsors (external)
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Abstract
This project is funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG) in the frame of the Priority Programme (SPP) 1234 "Phonological and phonetic competence: between grammar, signal processing, and neural activity". Our research program connects cognitive neuroscience with linguistic phonological theory. It applies cognitive neuroscientific investigation of event-related potentials (ERP), using mismatch negativitity (MMN) paradigms, to phonotactic restrictions that stem from the phonological constraint of Dorsal Fricative Assimilation in German. Special attention is given to the question of the (psychologically) pre-attentive status of phonotactic processing, which meets with the (linguistic) expectation that linguistic competence is put to use without a conscious effort. The interdisciplinary project investigates neurological effects of phonotactic constraints in German (e.g. the constraint that underlies the two different pronuciations of "ch" in "ich" and "ach"). In psychological terms, we establish the preattentive relevance of these linguistic constraints using Mismatch Negativity protocols. In linguistic terms, we document the psychological reality of constraints of phonological theory. We started with a number of investigations on Dorsal Fricative Assimilation (concerning the sounds in "ich" vs. "ach"), where we documented EEG responses to ill-matched sequendes of vowel and fricative in the MMN deviant. We are continuing with an investigation of G-Deletion (g is deleted in "Fang" but d is not deleted in "fand") and of Final Devoicing ("s" is voiced in "Muse" but not in "Mus").
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 25227870
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 25227870