C02

Influences of negation on behavior, memory, and attitude 

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.

 

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?

 

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.

BibTeX

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.

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Albu, E.; Kaup, B.

This has happened before: Assigning reference to negative events Proceedings Article

In: Sinn und Bedeutung 2026.

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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.

BibTeX

Kaup, B.; Nibbenhagen, J.; Dudschig, C.

Negation induced forgetting: Investigating potential boundary conditions Working paper

2026.

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Sokyrskyy, V.

Expletive Negation Masters Thesis Forthcoming

Tübingen University, Forthcoming.

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Kinzel, L.

Negation and Cognitive Flexibility Masters Thesis Forthcoming

Tübingen University, Forthcoming.

BibTeX

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.

Links | BibTeX

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.

BibTeX

Nimis, L.

Verarbeitung von Negationssätzen: Effekte auf kognitive Flexibilität und weibliche Geschlechterstereotype in Abhängigkeit vom Satzinhalt Masters Thesis

Tübingen University, 2026.

BibTeX

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.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

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.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Maier, J.

Does the frequency of using negation affect attitude formation? Bachelor Thesis

2025.

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Geier, N.

Wort oder Bild – was negiert besser? Kognitive Effekte multimodaler Negationsformen Bachelor Thesis

2025.

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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.

Links | BibTeX

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.

BibTeX

Project Leaders

Dr. Carolin Dudschig

Dep. of Psychology, University of Tübingen

Prof. Barbara Kaup

Dep. of Psychology, University of Tübingen

Scientific Staff

Research Areas

Behaviour, memory, attitudeÂ