TY - JOUR
T1 - Semantic processing of verbal narratives compared to semantic processing of visual narratives
T2 - an ERP study of school-aged children
AU - Lindfors, Hanna
AU - Hansson, Kristina
AU - Pakulak, Eric
AU - Cohn, Neil
AU - Andersson, Annika
N1 - Copyright © 2024 Lindfors, Hansson, Pakulak, Cohn and Andersson.
PY - 2024/1/12
Y1 - 2024/1/12
N2 - There is a misconception that pictures are easy to comprehend, which is problematic in pedagogical practices that include pictures. For example, if a child has difficulties with verbal narration to picture sequences, it may be interpreted as specific to spoken language even though the child may have additional difficulties with comprehension of visual narratives in the form of picture sequences. The purpose of the present study was therefore to increase our understanding of semantic processing in the pictorial domain in relation to semantic processing in the verbal domain, focusing on 9-13 years-old children with typical language development. To this end, we measured electrical brain responses (event related potentials, ERPs) in 17 children to (i) pictures (panels) that were predicted versus unpredicted in sequences of panels that conveyed visual narratives and (ii) words that were predicted versus unpredicted in sentences that conveyed verbal narratives. Results demonstrated similarities as there were no significant difference in the magnitude of the N400 effect across domains. The only difference between domains was the predicted difference in distribution, that is, a more posterior N400 effect in the verbal domain than in the pictorial domain. The study contributes to an increased understanding of the complexity of processing of visual narratives and its shared features with processing of verbal narratives, which should be considered in pedagogical practices.
AB - There is a misconception that pictures are easy to comprehend, which is problematic in pedagogical practices that include pictures. For example, if a child has difficulties with verbal narration to picture sequences, it may be interpreted as specific to spoken language even though the child may have additional difficulties with comprehension of visual narratives in the form of picture sequences. The purpose of the present study was therefore to increase our understanding of semantic processing in the pictorial domain in relation to semantic processing in the verbal domain, focusing on 9-13 years-old children with typical language development. To this end, we measured electrical brain responses (event related potentials, ERPs) in 17 children to (i) pictures (panels) that were predicted versus unpredicted in sequences of panels that conveyed visual narratives and (ii) words that were predicted versus unpredicted in sentences that conveyed verbal narratives. Results demonstrated similarities as there were no significant difference in the magnitude of the N400 effect across domains. The only difference between domains was the predicted difference in distribution, that is, a more posterior N400 effect in the verbal domain than in the pictorial domain. The study contributes to an increased understanding of the complexity of processing of visual narratives and its shared features with processing of verbal narratives, which should be considered in pedagogical practices.
KW - N400
KW - children
KW - comics
KW - event related potentials
KW - narratives
KW - pictures
KW - semantic processing
UR - https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=wosstart_imp_pure20230417&SrcAuth=WosAPI&KeyUT=WOS:001148797300001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=WOS_CPL
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85183642469&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253509
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253509
M3 - Article
C2 - 38282837
SN - 1664-1078
VL - 14
JO - Frontiers in psychology
JF - Frontiers in psychology
M1 - 1253509
ER -