Emojis in Sentence Processing: An Electrophysiological Approach
This paper discusses two multi-experiment studies using the ERP methodology to investigate neural correlates of processing linguistic emojis. The first study examined the use of wink emojis used to mark irony and found the same ERP response complex that has been found in response to word-generated irony. Contingent upon individual differences in interpretation, these emojis are processed the same way as ironic words. The second study investigated the prediction of non-face emojis substituted for nouns. When predictability was high, unexpected emojis elicited the same ERP response patterns as words. Overall, the results of these two studies suggest that emojis used linguistically are processed in the same way as words and that individuals can integrate input from multiple modalities into a holistic representation of a single utterance.
Are Emoji Processed Like Words? An Eye-Tracking Study
In this study, we investigate the processing of object-denoting emoji in sentences using eye tracking. We hypothesize that (a) such emoji are more difficult to process when used as word replacement; and (b) their processing is subject to ambiguity constraints similarly to what happens with words. We conduct two experiments in which participants have to read sentences in which an emoji either follows or replaces a word. Control stimuli not containing emoji are also tested. In the second experiment, the emoji are presented in two different disambiguating contexts. First fixation duration, total visit duration, and total revisit duration are modeled in the various conditions using linear mixed models. Both our hypotheses are supported. We observe longer total visit time for non-redundant emoji, and higher values for all three measures for ambiguous emoji. We conclude that lexical access may be more difficult for emoji especially when they are used as word replacements and their meaning is not immediately clear. Furthermore, we also conclude that non-redundant emoji are more difficult to integrate in the processing of the sentence than the equivalent words, or emoji used in a redundant way. In turn, our results indicate that emoji may not always be as immediate and easy to process for readers in spite of their popularity.
Clozapine derived 2,3-dihydro-1H-1,4- and 1,5-benzodiazepines with D4 receptor selectivity: synthesis and biological testing.
Novel 4-arylpiperazin-1-yl-substituted 2,3-dihydro-1H-1,4- and 1H-1,5-benzodiazepines and their aza-analogues were synthesized as debenzoclozapine derivatives for evaluation as potential D4-ligands. While Ki values of some of the title compounds came within the range of clozapine, they showed an impressively greater selectivity over other dopamine receptor subtypes, especially D2. For the most promising compounds, intrinsic activity and binding properties to serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 were also determined.