The Nref effect has been previously linked to referential processing, especially referential ambiguity. However, the underlying processing mechanism of the Nref effect is still not well understood. One possibility is that the Nref effect reflects the maintenance of eligible referents or referential interpretations in working memory for future disambiguation.
If the Nref effect reflects working memory load, it may not be language-specific, and may share resources with working memory-related components seen in other domains, such as the CDA – a negative slow wave that increases in amplitude as the number of items held in visual working memory (VWM) increases, up to an individual’s VWM capacity limit.
To test these hypotheses, we will manipulate the number of possible referents (1,2, and 3) in a discourse context to examine whether the Nref effect shows a graded sensitivity to referential load. As a further step to understand the potential link between the Nref effect and the CDA, we will measure each participant’s VWM capacity and investigate whether VWM capacity is correlated with the amplitude of the Nref effect.