In psycholinguistics, negation research typically investigates the effects of negation during the processing of linguistic stimuli. However, from a cognitive psychology perspective, language is of special relevance also due to its interconnections with general cognitive capacities. And indeed, linguistic negation has been suggested to involve processes which are regarded as non-linguistic in the first place, such as inhibition or suppression mechanisms. Given these interconnections, it seems particularly worthwhile to study the influence of negation on processes beyond language processing. Research dealing with these effects of negation is rather sparse. The present project aims at filling this gap by looking at the effect of negation on (1) behavior, (2) memory, and (3) attitude formation. Our investigations will not only be informative for the relationship between linguistic and non-linguistic cognition but will also deepen our understanding of the mechanisms involved in negation processing. The project will therefore directly contribute to the main research question of Domain C What are the general properties of processing and acquisition of negation? Which non-verbal and cognitive procedures interact with or resemble negation? with a special focus on QC.1: Are there universal processes in the processing of negation? In a potential second funding period of the CRC, we plan to take into account the results of the linguistic projects in the CRC concerning different types of negation, and will investigate how well our own results generalize to other structures. Also, we plan to extend our investigations to other non-linguistic capacities such as perception, motivation, and emotion.
