Influences of negation on behavior, memory, and attitudeÂ
Project Overview
In psycholinguistics, research on negation typically focuses on how negation affects the processing of linguistic stimuli. Research on such broader effects of negation is still limited. This project addresses this gap by investigating how negation affects (1) behavior, (2) memory, and (3) attitude formation.
Â
Research Questions & Theoretical Framework
From a cognitive psychology perspective, however, language is also important because it is closely linked to general cognitive capacities. Linguistic negation has been argued to rely on processes usually considered non-linguistic, such as inhibition and suppression. Given these links, it is especially relevant to examine how negation influences processes beyond language comprehension. The project directly addresses the main research question of Domain C: What are the general properties of the processing and acquisition of negation, and which non-verbal and cognitive procedures interact with or resemble negation? We focus in particular on QC.1: Are there universal processes involved in the processing of negation?
Â
Methodologies & Data
This research will clarify how linguistic and non-linguistic cognition interact and will improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying negation processing. In further periods, this project plans to integrate findings from the CRC’s linguistic projects on different types of negation and test how well our results generalize to these structures. The research also aims to work to other non-linguistic domains, including perception, motivation, and emotion.
Publications
2026
Kati, L.; Sabinasz, D.; Schöner, G.; Kaup, B.
Interaction of polarity and truth value - A neural dynamic architecture of negation processing Conference
46th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society 2026.
@conference{nokey,
title = {Interaction of polarity and truth value - A neural dynamic architecture of negation processing},
author = {L. Kati and D. Sabinasz and G. Schöner and B. Kaup },
editor = {L. K. Samuelson and S. L. Frank and M. Toneva and A. Mackey and E. Hazeltine },
year = {2026},
date = {2026-07-01},
pages = {1442–1448},
organization = {46th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {conference}
}
Denials as a window into semantic and world-knowledge violations. Proceedings Article Forthcoming
In: C. Maienborn and F. Buscher-Schiewe and C. Dudschig and B. Kaup , pp. 30, Sinn und Bedeutung Forthcoming.
@inproceedings{nokey,
title = {Denials as a window into semantic and world-knowledge violations. },
year = {2026},
date = {2026-07-01},
booktitle = {C. Maienborn and F. Buscher-Schiewe and C. Dudschig and B. Kaup },
pages = {30},
organization = {Sinn und Bedeutung },
keywords = {},
pubstate = {forthcoming},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Albu, E.; Kaup, B.
This has happened before: Assigning reference to negative events Proceedings Article
In: Sinn und Bedeutung 2026.
@inproceedings{nokey,
title = {This has happened before: Assigning reference to negative events},
author = {E. Albu and B. Kaup },
year = {2026},
date = {2026-07-01},
journal = {Sinn und Bedeutung 30},
volume = {30},
organization = {Sinn und Bedeutung},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Smith, P.; Kaup, B.; Dudschig, C.
Ironic Negation in Basic Cognitive Tasks: The Role of Cognitive Load and Instruction Recoding Journal Article Forthcoming
In: Psychological Research, Forthcoming.
@article{nokey,
title = {Ironic Negation in Basic Cognitive Tasks: The Role of Cognitive Load and Instruction Recoding},
author = {P. Smith and B. Kaup and C. Dudschig},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-07-01},
journal = {Psychological Research},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {forthcoming},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Kaup, B.; Nibbenhagen, J.; Dudschig, C.
Negation induced forgetting: Investigating potential boundary conditions Working paper
2026.
@workingpaper{nokey,
title = {Negation induced forgetting: Investigating potential boundary conditions},
author = {B. Kaup and J. Nibbenhagen and C. Dudschig},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-07-01},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {workingpaper}
}
Sokyrskyy, V.
Expletive Negation Masters Thesis Forthcoming
Tübingen University, Forthcoming.
@mastersthesis{nokey,
title = {Expletive Negation},
author = {V. Sokyrskyy},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-07-01},
school = {Tübingen University},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {forthcoming},
tppubtype = {mastersthesis}
}
Kinzel, L.
Negation and Cognitive Flexibility Masters Thesis Forthcoming
Tübingen University, Forthcoming.
@mastersthesis{nokey,
title = {Negation and Cognitive Flexibility},
author = {L. Kinzel},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-07-01},
school = {Tübingen University},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {forthcoming},
tppubtype = {mastersthesis}
}
Sonntag, Samuel; Mackenzie, Ian Grant; Schütt, Emanuel; Sivec, Katarina; Oguz, Sara; Weicker, Merle; Dudschig, Carolin
The language of gesture: Testing the multimodality-for-compensation account with head and hand emblems of affirmation and negation. Journal Article
In: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 707–734, 2026, ISSN: 1939-1277.
@article{Sonntag2026,
title = {The language of gesture: Testing the multimodality-for-compensation account with head and hand emblems of affirmation and negation.},
author = {Samuel Sonntag and Ian Grant Mackenzie and Emanuel Schütt and Katarina Sivec and Sara Oguz and Merle Weicker and Carolin Dudschig},
doi = {10.1037/xhp0001398},
issn = {1939-1277},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-06-00},
urldate = {2026-06-00},
journal = {Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance},
volume = {52},
number = {6},
pages = {707--734},
publisher = {American Psychological Association (APA)},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Gorks, J.
Kommunikative Konsequenzen negierter Formulierungen bei der Beschreibung des Verhaltens anderer Personen: Eine Replikation in der deutschen Sprache mit Erweiterungen Masters Thesis
Tübingen University, 2026.
@mastersthesis{nokey,
title = {Kommunikative Konsequenzen negierter Formulierungen bei der Beschreibung des Verhaltens anderer Personen: Eine Replikation in der deutschen Sprache mit Erweiterungen},
author = {J. Gorks},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-01},
school = {Tübingen University},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {mastersthesis}
}
Nimis, L.
Verarbeitung von Negationssätzen: Effekte auf kognitive Flexibilität und weibliche Geschlechterstereotype in Abhängigkeit vom Satzinhalt Masters Thesis
Tübingen University, 2026.
@mastersthesis{nokey,
title = {Verarbeitung von Negationssätzen: Effekte auf kognitive Flexibilität und weibliche Geschlechterstereotype in Abhängigkeit vom Satzinhalt},
author = {L. Nimis},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-01},
school = {Tübingen University},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {mastersthesis}
}
2025
Lago, Sol; Schulz, Petra; Rinke, Esther; Oltrogge, Elise; Dudschig, Carolin; Kaup, Barbara
Insensitivity to truth-value in negated sentences: does linear distance matter? Journal Article
In: ELM, vol. 3, pp. 214–223, 2025, ISSN: 2694-1791.
@article{Lago2025,
title = {Insensitivity to truth-value in negated sentences: does linear distance matter?},
author = {Sol Lago and Petra Schulz and Esther Rinke and Elise Oltrogge and Carolin Dudschig and Barbara Kaup},
doi = {10.3765/elm.3.5797},
issn = {2694-1791},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-24},
urldate = {2025-01-24},
journal = {ELM},
volume = {3},
pages = {214--223},
publisher = {Linguistic Society of America},
abstract = {<jats:p>Affirmative sentences are comprehended more quickly when they are true vs. false but this facilitation is often reduced or absent in negative sentences, yielding a so-called negation-by-truth-value interaction. The reduced sensitivity to truth-value has been attributed to processing difficulties triggered by negation. We investigated whether difficulties such as these were eased when comprehenders were given more time to process the negator. Specifically, we compared negated sentences in which the negator immediately preceded an adjectival predicate vs. occurred earlier in the sentence, separated by several words from the predicate. The results of two sentence-picture matching tasks replicated previous findings of increased processing difficulties in negative vs. affirmative sentences, as well as the negation-by-truth-value interaction. However, we did not find evidence that sensitivity to truth-value was modulated by the distance between the negator and the predicate. Our findings suggest that, when sentences are presented in isolation, having more time to process a negator does not confer a measurable comprehension advantage.</jats:p>},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Lago, Sol; Schulz, Petra; Rinke, Esther; Oltrogge, Elise; Dudschig, Carolin; Kaup, Barbara
Insensitivity to truth-value in negated sentences: does linear distance matter? Journal Article
In: ELM, vol. 3, pp. 214–223, 2025, ISSN: 2694-1791.
@article{Lago2025b,
title = {Insensitivity to truth-value in negated sentences: does linear distance matter?},
author = {Sol Lago and Petra Schulz and Esther Rinke and Elise Oltrogge and Carolin Dudschig and Barbara Kaup},
doi = {10.3765/elm.3.5797},
issn = {2694-1791},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-24},
urldate = {2025-01-24},
journal = {ELM},
volume = {3},
pages = {214--223},
publisher = {Linguistic Society of America},
abstract = {<jats:p>Affirmative sentences are comprehended more quickly when they are true vs. false but this facilitation is often reduced or absent in negative sentences, yielding a so-called negation-by-truth-value interaction. The reduced sensitivity to truth-value has been attributed to processing difficulties triggered by negation. We investigated whether difficulties such as these were eased when comprehenders were given more time to process the negator. Specifically, we compared negated sentences in which the negator immediately preceded an adjectival predicate vs. occurred earlier in the sentence, separated by several words from the predicate. The results of two sentence-picture matching tasks replicated previous findings of increased processing difficulties in negative vs. affirmative sentences, as well as the negation-by-truth-value interaction. However, we did not find evidence that sensitivity to truth-value was modulated by the distance between the negator and the predicate. Our findings suggest that, when sentences are presented in isolation, having more time to process a negator does not confer a measurable comprehension advantage.</jats:p>},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Maier, J.
Does the frequency of using negation affect attitude formation? Bachelor Thesis
2025.
@bachelorthesis{nokey,
title = { Does the frequency of using negation affect attitude formation?},
author = {J. Maier},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
journal = {Tübingen University},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {bachelorthesis}
}
Geier, N.
Wort oder Bild – was negiert besser? Kognitive Effekte multimodaler Negationsformen Bachelor Thesis
2025.
@bachelorthesis{nokey,
title = {Wort oder Bild – was negiert besser? Kognitive Effekte multimodaler Negationsformen},
author = {N. Geier },
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
journal = {Tübingen University},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {bachelorthesis}
}
2024
Schütt, Emanuel; Weicker, Merle; Dudschig, Carolin
Multimodal aspects of sentence comprehension: Do facial and color cues interact with processing negated and affirmative sentences? Journal Article
In: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 957–966, 2024, ISSN: 1939-1285.
@article{Schütt2024,
title = {Multimodal aspects of sentence comprehension: Do facial and color cues interact with processing negated and affirmative sentences?},
author = {Emanuel Schütt and Merle Weicker and Carolin Dudschig},
doi = {10.1037/xlm0001302},
issn = {1939-1285},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-06-00},
urldate = {2024-06-00},
journal = {Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition},
volume = {50},
number = {6},
pages = {957--966},
publisher = {American Psychological Association (APA)},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Capuano, F.; Kaup, B.
Pragmatic reasoning in GPT models: Replication of a subtle negation effect Conference
the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society 2024.
@conference{nokey,
title = {Pragmatic reasoning in GPT models: Replication of a subtle negation effect},
author = {F. Capuano and B. Kaup},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-00-00},
urldate = {2024-00-00},
pages = {46},
organization = {the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {conference}
}
Project Leaders

Dr. Carolin Dudschig
Dep. of Psychology, University of Tübingen

Prof. Barbara Kaup
Dep. of Psychology, University of Tübingen

