Introduction

Structural priming is the tendency for speakers to produce previously processed sentence structures, even when the structures are syntactically more complex than equally suitable alternatives to express the same meanings. Studies have found that structural priming in speakers with agrammatic aphasia results in facilitated access to primed sentence structures.

The aims of this study are to examine structural priming in aphasia in Italian and to explore priming in a broader range of aphasia types.

Methods

Participants

We present data from eight PWA resulting from a left hemisphere stroke. 

Materials and procedure

32 transitive prime sentences (half actives, passives) were paired with 16 target pictures. Agents were always inanimate (e.g., rock) and patients were animate (e.g., boy). Target pictures were scene sketches of transitive events with inanimate agents and animate patients with the infinitive form of the verb written below. Prime sentences were audio-recorded and played via headphones. Participants repeated each prime sentence and described each target picture.

Results

PWA showed a priming effect for actives and passives. They produced more actives after active primes (.38) than after passive primes (.11) or no primes (.20) and more passives after passive primes (.67) than after active primes (.38), or no primes (.50).

Conclusions

Our results indicate that structural priming is effective in Italian speakers with aphasia. This adds to the growing body of research that finds that priming in speakers with aphasia facilitates access and use of primed sentence structures, even when these are linguistically more complex than their alternatives.