Between bodily action and conventionalized structure: The neural mechanisms of constructed action in sign language comprehension

Doris Hernández; Anna Puupponen; Jarkko Keränen; Gerardo Ortega; Tommi Jantunen

doi:10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105413

Between bodily action and conventionalized structure: The neural mechanisms of constructed action in sign language comprehension

Doris Hernández^*, Anna Puupponen, Jarkko Keränen, Gerardo Ortega, Tommi Jantunen

^*Corresponding author for this work

English Language and Linguistics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Sign languages (SLs) are expressed through different bodily actions, ranging from re-enactment of physical events (constructed action, CA) to sequences of lexical signs with internal structure (plain telling, PT). Despite the prevalence of CA in signed interactions and its significance for SL comprehension, its neural dynamics remain unexplored. We examined the processing of different types of CA (subtle, reduced, and overt) and PT in 35 adult deaf or hearing native signers. The electroencephalographic-based processing of signed sentences with incongruent targets was recorded. Attenuated N300 and early N400 were observed for CA in deaf but not in hearing signers. No differences were found between sentences with CA types in all signers, suggesting a continuum from PT to overt CA. Deaf signers focused more on body movements; hearing signers on faces. We conclude that CA is processed less effortlessly than PT, arguably because of its strong focus on bodily actions.

Original language	English
Article number	105413
Number of pages	11
Journal	Brain and Language
Volume	252
Early online date	11 Apr 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105413
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2024

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgments
The authors thank the study participants and acknowledge the contributions of Tuija Wainio (stimulus selection), Outi Pippuri (video editing), Viki-Veikko Elomaa (EEG laboratory assistance), Erkka Heinilä (data analysis assistance), and the University of Jyväskylä’s FinSL interpreters. We thank Orsolya Kolozsvari and Lili Tian for their insightful comments on the manuscript. This research was supported by the Academy of Finland (grant number 339268) as well as the University of Jyväskylä 's visiting fellow program for the year 2023.

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abstract = "Sign languages (SLs) are expressed through different bodily actions, ranging from re-enactment of physical events (constructed action, CA) to sequences of lexical signs with internal structure (plain telling, PT). Despite the prevalence of CA in signed interactions and its significance for SL comprehension, its neural dynamics remain unexplored. We examined the processing of different types of CA (subtle, reduced, and overt) and PT in 35 adult deaf or hearing native signers. The electroencephalographic-based processing of signed sentences with incongruent targets was recorded. Attenuated N300 and early N400 were observed for CA in deaf but not in hearing signers. No differences were found between sentences with CA types in all signers, suggesting a continuum from PT to overt CA. Deaf signers focused more on body movements; hearing signers on faces. We conclude that CA is processed less effortlessly than PT, arguably because of its strong focus on bodily actions.",

author = "Doris Hern{\'a}ndez and Anna Puupponen and Jarkko Ker{\"a}nen and Gerardo Ortega and Tommi Jantunen",

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N1 - Acknowledgments The authors thank the study participants and acknowledge the contributions of Tuija Wainio (stimulus selection), Outi Pippuri (video editing), Viki-Veikko Elomaa (EEG laboratory assistance), Erkka Heinilä (data analysis assistance), and the University of Jyväskylä’s FinSL interpreters. We thank Orsolya Kolozsvari and Lili Tian for their insightful comments on the manuscript. This research was supported by the Academy of Finland (grant number 339268) as well as the University of Jyväskylä 's visiting fellow program for the year 2023.

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N2 - Sign languages (SLs) are expressed through different bodily actions, ranging from re-enactment of physical events (constructed action, CA) to sequences of lexical signs with internal structure (plain telling, PT). Despite the prevalence of CA in signed interactions and its significance for SL comprehension, its neural dynamics remain unexplored. We examined the processing of different types of CA (subtle, reduced, and overt) and PT in 35 adult deaf or hearing native signers. The electroencephalographic-based processing of signed sentences with incongruent targets was recorded. Attenuated N300 and early N400 were observed for CA in deaf but not in hearing signers. No differences were found between sentences with CA types in all signers, suggesting a continuum from PT to overt CA. Deaf signers focused more on body movements; hearing signers on faces. We conclude that CA is processed less effortlessly than PT, arguably because of its strong focus on bodily actions.

AB - Sign languages (SLs) are expressed through different bodily actions, ranging from re-enactment of physical events (constructed action, CA) to sequences of lexical signs with internal structure (plain telling, PT). Despite the prevalence of CA in signed interactions and its significance for SL comprehension, its neural dynamics remain unexplored. We examined the processing of different types of CA (subtle, reduced, and overt) and PT in 35 adult deaf or hearing native signers. The electroencephalographic-based processing of signed sentences with incongruent targets was recorded. Attenuated N300 and early N400 were observed for CA in deaf but not in hearing signers. No differences were found between sentences with CA types in all signers, suggesting a continuum from PT to overt CA. Deaf signers focused more on body movements; hearing signers on faces. We conclude that CA is processed less effortlessly than PT, arguably because of its strong focus on bodily actions.

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Between bodily action and conventionalized structure: The neural mechanisms of constructed action in sign language comprehension

Abstract

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