Electrophysiological Evidence for Sentence Comprehension - Wings
Electrophysiological Evidence for Sentence Comprehension - Wings
Electrophysiological Evidence for Sentence Comprehension - Wings
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‘tense’ experiments as well as in the additional ‘gender’ and ‘quantifier’ experiments<br />
reaction time data were measured separately, using E-prime software (Schneider et al.,<br />
2002). The reason <strong>for</strong> separate measurements of RT and ERP is a practical one: e-prime<br />
equipment used in the measurements has a very high level of precision (+/- 20 μs) and a<br />
more practical way of exporting data to a statistical program than the ERP equipment<br />
used in the experiments. In addition, e-prime RT data collection was used as a training<br />
session <strong>for</strong> the ERP experiment. The same kind of stimuli sentences (or word pairs) was<br />
used in RT measurements. However, the words were changed to avoid their repetition in<br />
the ERP experiments.<br />
Verbal and non-verbal abilities tests. Verbal and non-verbal abilities tests were used to<br />
determine language status of SLI children in order to choose as homogenous group of<br />
SLI children as possible. At present these test materials are the best testing materials <strong>for</strong><br />
establishing (and using) inclusion and exclusion of SLI children in Croatian. The testing<br />
materials used in this study were developed in the Laboratory <strong>for</strong> Psycholinguistic<br />
Research (Clinical Research Unit) as working materials <strong>for</strong> language disorder<br />
diagnostics. They were used <strong>for</strong> making a reliable profile of language abilities of SLI<br />
children. The tests materials examine phonological, morpho-syntactic and lexical skills of<br />
the children (v. Table 3 <strong>for</strong> an overview). In addition, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test<br />
(PPVT) was administred. The PPVT has been standardized <strong>for</strong> Croatian (Kovačević et<br />
al., in press). Narrative abilities were assessed using The Bus Story (Renfrew, 1969).<br />
Employment of so many tests provided rather detailed in<strong>for</strong>mation on all language<br />
components <strong>for</strong> each child involved in the study. However, as the tests were initially<br />
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