The role of non-linguistic cognitive abilities in children’s negation processing (C04)

• Subject Area: Applied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 509468465

Studies show that children and adults have difficulties when processing negative sentences compared to affirmative sentences. The project investigates to what extent non-verbal cognitive abilities - executive functions and the theory of mind - are related to the processing of negation in the target language and to what extent a plausible context facilitates the processing. The focus of the project is on preschool children whose cognitive abilities are still developing. To date, there is little research on these connections with regard to preschoolers. We expect that well-developed cognitive abilities are associated with successful negation processing and that a plausible context facilitates processing.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1629: Negation in language and beyond (NegLaB)
• Applicant Institution: Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
• Project Heads: Professorin Dr. Angela Grimm, since 1/2024; Professorin Dr. Barbara Kaup, since 1/2024; Dr. Yvonne Portele, since 1/2024