Speech register influences listeners' word expectations

We utilized the N400 effect to investigate the influence of speech register on predictive language processing. Participants listened to long stretches (4 - 15 min) of naturalistic speech from different registers (dialogues, news broadcasts, and read-aloud books), totalling approximately 50,000 words, while the EEG signal was recorded. We estimated the surprisal of words in the speech materials with the aid of a statistical language model in such a manner that it reflected different predictive processing strategies; generic, register-specific, or recency-based. The N400 amplitude was best predicted with register-specific word surprisal, indicating that the statistics of the wider context (i.e., register) influences predictive language processing. Furthermore, adaptation to speech register cannot merely be explained by recency effects; instead, listeners adapt their word anticipations to the presented speech register.

Automated summary

This study investigated the influence of speech register on predictive language processing using the N400 effect. The results show that the amplitude of the N400 is best predicted by register-specific word surprisal, indicating that the statistics of the wider context (i.e., register) influence predictive language processing. Furthermore, adaptation to speech register is not solely explained by recency effects; instead, listeners adjust their word anticipations based on the presented speech register.