The influence of information structure on the depth of semantic processing: How focus and pitch accent determine the size of the N400 effect

▸ Two markers of information structure (IS), namely context and accentuation, interact. ▸ Context-marked focus needs to be accented to achieve detailed semantic processing. ▸ The mismatch between context and accentuation leads to shallow processing. ▸ Shallow processing also occurs when there is no IS marking for new information. ▸ Females tend to engage in more elaborate semantic processing than males.