The Neuro-cognitive Bases of Idiom Processing Katja Häuser School of Communication Sciences and Disorders McGill University, Montreal, Quebec Canada December 1st, 2015 A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy © Katja Häuser, 2015 2 Contents Acknowledgments....................................................................................................................... 7 Funding ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Statement of originality............................................................................................................. 10 Contribution of authors ............................................................................................................. 11 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... 12 French Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 14 Chapter 1: General Introduction ............................................................................................... 16 1.1 Idioms: Definitions and Theories ................................................................................... 17 1.1.1 The non-compositional view................................................................................... 19 1.1.2 The compositional view .......................................................................................... 20 1.1.3 Hybrid views ........................................................................................................... 21 1.2 Idioms and cognitive control .......................................................................................... 22 1.2.1 Idioms and cognitive control: The neuropsychological perspective....................... 26 1.2.1.1 Idiom processing in clinical patients ............................................................... 26 1.2.1.2 Idiom processing in aging................................................................................ 31 1.2.2 Idioms and cognitive control: The neuro-anatomical perspective .......................... 35 1.2.2.1 fMRI studies .................................................................................................... 37 1.2.2.2 rTMS studies.................................................................................................... 39 1.3 The present study ........................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 2: Study 1 .................................................................................................................... 45 2.1 Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 46 2.2 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 47 3 2.3 Method ........................................................................................................................... 53 2.3.1 Participants.............................................................................................................. 53 2.3.2 Procedure ................................................................................................................ 54 2.3.3 Materials.................................................................................................................. 55 2.3.4 Apparatus ................................................................................................................ 56 2.4 Results ............................................................................................................................ 57 2.4.1 Early reading measures ........................................................................................... 58 2.4.1.1 Gaze duration for phrase-final nouns .............................................................. 58 2.4.1.2 Go past times for phrase-final nouns ............................................................... 59 2.4.2 Later reading measures ........................................................................................... 60 2.4.2.1 Total reading time of the idiom ....................................................................... 60 2.4.2.2 Regressions from the disambiguating region to earlier sentence regions........ 62 2.5 Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 64 2.5.1 Age-related impairments in executive functions .................................................... 68 2.5.2 Age-related entrenchment of figurative meanings.................................................. 70 2.5.3 Summary and conclusion ........................................................................................ 75 2.6 Appendix: AXCPT task ................................................................................................. 89 Chapter 3: Study 2 .................................................................................................................... 93 3.1 Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 94 3.2 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 95 3.2.1 Cognitive control and idiom processing ................................................................. 96 3.2.2 Idiom processing and the prefrontal cortex............................................................. 99 3.2.3 The present study .................................................................................................. 104 4 3.3 Method ......................................................................................................................... 105 3.3.1 Participants............................................................................................................ 105 3.3.2 Design and Procedure ........................................................................................... 106 3.3.3 Experimental Task ................................................................................................ 106 3.3.4 Stimuli ................................................................................................................... 107 3.3.5 TMS Protocol ........................................................................................................ 109 3.3.6 Localization of Stimulation Sites .......................................................................... 111 3.3.7 Simon Cognitive Control Task ............................................................................. 112 3.4 Results .......................................................................................................................... 113 3.4.1 Accuracy ............................................................................................................... 114 3.4.2 Reaction Times ..................................................................................................... 115 3.4.2.1 Model split by familiarity .............................................................................. 116 3.4.2.2 Model split by site of stimulation .................................................................. 118 3.4.2.3 Model split by cognitive control .................................................................... 119 3.4.2.4 Summary ........................................................................................................ 120 3.5 Discussion .................................................................................................................... 120 3.6 Conclusion.................................................................................................................... 126 Chapter 4: General Discussion ............................................................................................... 137 4.1 Summary of findings .................................................................................................... 138 4.2 Evaluation of results against models of idiom processing ........................................... 142 4.3 Open questions and directions for future research ....................................................... 145 4.4 Conclusion.................................................................................................................... 147 Bibliography................................................................................................................................ 149 5 This is for ‘Marlboro’ (Montreal) and ‘friendly’ (benign) tumors, for ‘plastic pot stories’ (tupper ware parties) and ‘parmesan’ (Penaten) cremes, and, of course, for highly qualified ‘tigers’ (doctors). 6 Acknowledgments First and foremost, I would like to thank my two PhD supervisors, Shari Baum and Debra Titone. Shari, thank you so much for accepting me as a PhD student and giving me this huge chance to come to Canada. Thank you for your guidance, your calmness, sense of humor and your kindness, and for always having an open ear for PhD-related ailments. You always made me feel like things weren’t as bad as I thought they were, and that helped me immensely in the course of