TY - JOUR
T1 - Do two negatives make a positive? Language and logic in language processing
AU - Tan, I. An
AU - Kugler-Etinger, Nitsan
AU - Grodzinsky, Yosef
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - This study focuses on a factor known to increase sentence processing complexity–negation. We sought to distill out of negation a logical property–Inference Reversal–to see whether it, and not an actual negation word, determines this complexity. First, we tested a negation-less pair of polar operators (at most, at least) in Hebrew. We found that processing time for sentences containing the Inference Reversing at most lagged behind those with at least. Second, we compared the processing of sentences containing two Inference Reversing operators (not less) to sentences with zero (ø, more) and one (not more, less). Since two Inference Reversing Operators annul Inference Reversal (“two negatives make a positive”), we asked whether their processing cost is annulled, or rather cumulative. Surprisingly, RT not less was shorter than RT not more. These findings lead to the conclusion that even when covert, Inference Reversal is an important determinant of processing complexity.
AB - This study focuses on a factor known to increase sentence processing complexity–negation. We sought to distill out of negation a logical property–Inference Reversal–to see whether it, and not an actual negation word, determines this complexity. First, we tested a negation-less pair of polar operators (at most, at least) in Hebrew. We found that processing time for sentences containing the Inference Reversing at most lagged behind those with at least. Second, we compared the processing of sentences containing two Inference Reversing operators (not less) to sentences with zero (ø, more) and one (not more, less). Since two Inference Reversing Operators annul Inference Reversal (“two negatives make a positive”), we asked whether their processing cost is annulled, or rather cumulative. Surprisingly, RT not less was shorter than RT not more. These findings lead to the conclusion that even when covert, Inference Reversal is an important determinant of processing complexity.
KW - Monotonicity
KW - double negation
KW - negation
KW - quantifiers
KW - sentence processing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85156122623&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/23273798.2023.2190134
DO - 10.1080/23273798.2023.2190134
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AN - SCOPUS:85156122623
SN - 2327-3798
VL - 38
SP - 1027
EP - 1043
JO - Language, Cognition and Neuroscience
JF - Language, Cognition and Neuroscience
IS - 7
ER -