Understanding structures of different complexity in language and action: Parallels in development and neurocognitive processing across domains

在语言学中有一个长期的传统，即描述不同复杂程度的语言结构。这种描述最近也被应用于动作域。特别是，有人认为，处理层次结构的能力构成了语言和动作理解的核心特征，结构处理依赖于域的一般能力。然而，迄今为止，动作处理和语言结构之间的相似性，差异性和相互依赖性在很大程度上尚未被探索。拟议的项目包括一系列的实验，跟踪整个学龄前时期和成人在不同层次的结构复杂性的行动和语言处理的发展。依靠动作生产和act-out任务，我们将评估是否在行动和语言的层次结构的发展相互关联。利用fNIRS和EEG，我们将评估大脑对不同复杂结构的反应，以描述在语言和动作领域中的神经认知相关性。结果将提供经验证据，迄今尚未解决的问题，是否结构复杂性的处理是跨域的可比性，以及是否类似的神经认知机制subserve结构处理的语言和行动。

There is a long tradition in linguistics to describe language structures at different levels of complexity. Such descriptions have recently also been applied to the action domain. In particular, it has been argued that the ability to process hierarchical structures constitutes a core feature of both language and action understanding and that structure processing relies on a domain-general capacity. Yet, the parallels, differences and interdependencies between the processing of action and language structures are so far largely unexplored. The proposed project comprises a series of experiments that trace the development of both action and language processing at different levels of structural complexity across the pre-school period and in adults. Relying on action production and act-out tasks, we will assess whether the development of hierarchical structures in action and language relates to each other. Using fNIRS and EEG, we will assess brain responses to structures of different complexity to describe the neurocognitive correlates subserving structure processing in the language and action domain. Results will provide empirical evidence to the so far unsettled question whether the processing of structural complexity is comparable across domains and whether similar neurocognitive mechanisms subserve structure processing in language and action.