Even while listening, the brain attempts to anticipate the next words. This is the conclusion reached by a current study conducted by an interdisciplinary team of researchers led by PD Dr. Patrick Krauss, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), and PD Dr. Achim Schilling, Heidelberg University. The researchers combined three methods: a natural listening situation, high resolution measurements of brain activity, and an AI language model as reference.
The higher the probability of a certain word occurring in the relevant context, the weaker the neural reaction during processing. At the same time, the data indicate a rise in pre-onset activity before the word begins, suggesting the brain works with predictions. The work is published in the journal NeuroImage.
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