Abstract：
Prediction has a fundamental role in language processing. However, predictions can be made at different levels, and it is not always clear whether speech sounds, morphemes, words, meanings, or communicative functions are anticipated during dialogues. Previous studies reported specific brain signatures of communicative pragmatic function, in particular enhanced brain responses immediately after encountering an utterance used to request an object from a partner, but relatively smaller ones when the same utterance was used for naming the object. The present experiment now investigates whether similar neuropragmatic signatures emerge in recipients before the onset of upcoming utterances carrying different predictable communicative functions. Trials started with a context question and object pictures displayed on the screen, raising the participant\'s expectation that words from a specific semantic category (food or tool) would subsequently be used to either name or request one of the objects. Already 600 msec before utterance onset, a larger prediction potential was observed when a request was anticipated relative to naming expectation. As this result is congruent with the neurophysiological difference previously observed right after the critical utterance, the anticipatory brain activity may index predictions about the social-communicative function of upcoming utterances. In addition, we also found that the predictable semantic category of the upcoming word was likewise reflected in the anticipatory brain potential. Thus, the neurophysiological characteristics of the prediction potential can capture different types of upcoming linguistic information, including semantic and pragmatic aspects of an upcoming utterance and communicative action.
摘要：
预测在语言处理中起着重要的作用。然而,可以在不同的层面进行预测，并不总是清楚语音是否听起来，语素,单词,含义,或在对话期间预期的交流功能。以前的研究报道了交际语用功能的特定大脑特征，特别是在遇到用于向伴侣请求对象的话语后立即增强了大脑反应，但是当使用相同的话语来命名对象时，相对较小。现在，本实验研究了在即将到来的带有不同可预测的交流功能的话语开始之前，接受者是否会出现类似的神经语用特征。试验从屏幕上显示的上下文问题和对象图片开始，提高了参与者的期望，即来自特定语义类别（食物或工具）的单词随后将用于命名或请求其中一个对象。在发声开始前已经600毫秒了，当预期请求相对于命名预期时,观察到更大的预测潜力.由于此结果与先前在关键话语后观察到的神经生理学差异一致，预期的大脑活动可以对即将到来的话语的社会交流功能进行索引预测。此外,我们还发现，即将到来的单词的可预测语义类别同样反映在预期的脑电位中。因此，预测电位的神经生理学特征可以捕获不同类型的即将到来的语言信息，包括即将到来的话语和交际行为的语义和语用方面。
