Neurocognitive Trajectories of Scalar Implicature in Mandarin-Speaking Children: ERP Evidence for Attentional Allocation and Pragmatic Recalibration (4–6 Years)

Despite the centrality of scalar implicature (SI) in pragmatic development, the neurocognitive trajectory of SI processing in Mandarin-speaking children remains underexplored, with existing frameworks inadequately accounting for developmental constraints and cross-linguistic variation. This ERP study maps the neurocognitive trajectory of scalar implicature (SI) processing in Mandarin preschoolers (N = 49). Behavioral accuracy improved with age (p < 0.001) but was not modulated by contextual felicity. Neural dynamics revealed developmental shifts: 4-year-olds exhibited heightened P200 amplitudes in infelicitous contexts, indicating attentional overloading. Differences in P200 amplitude between younger and older children indexed developmental shifts in attentional allocation. The N400 showed contextual sensitivity, whereas the Late Positive Component (LPC) showed only marginal context effects, suggesting protracted inferential adjustments. We propose the Cognitive-Dynamic Relevance Model (CDRM), challenging existing frameworks by integrating gradual recalibration mechanisms with resource constraints. Mandarin children demonstrate delayed SI maturation, attributable to reduced SI frequency in child-directed speech and quantifier ambiguity. Findings underscore cross-linguistic variation in pragmatic development, with neurocognitive markers preceding behavioral mastery.