The exceptional nature of the first person in natural story processing and the transfer of egocentricity

Abstract

ABSTRACT Human language enables us to externalise self-internal information (e.g. emotions or beliefs that are not readily accessible to others). Thus, language bridges the gap between the self and the other (e.g. Frith and Frith, 2010) in a way that possibly no other communication system can provide. In many languages, the difference between the self and others is directly reflected in the distinction between first (“I”), second (“you”) and third person (“he, she”) marking. In the present study, we compared ERPs to first, second and third person pronouns during the comprehension of an audio-book version of The Little Prince. Our results revealed a strong P300 response following first person pronouns that is independent of contextual factors. In line with previous research on self-relevance and the P300 (e.g. Knolle, Schröger, and Kotz, 2013b), our results suggest that first-person marking is an attentional cue for self-relevance that is at the core of successful narrative comprehension.