Abstract
Objective: To determine whether ERP components can differentiate between the semantic priming mechanisms of automatic spreading activation, expectancy, and semantic matching. Methods: The present study manipulated two factors known to differentiate semantic priming mechanisms: associations between words (forward, backward, and symmetrical) and prime-target stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA). Twenty-six participants were tested in each SOA condition while high-density 128-channel data were collected. Principal components analysis was applied to separate the ERP components. Results: Priming was observed for all conditions. Three semantic components were present: (1) the standard N400 effect for symmetric and forward priming pairs at both short and long SOAs, (2) an N300 for the long SOA symmetric priming pairs, and (3) a right-lateralized posterior N400RP for long SOA backward priming pairs. Conclusions: Results suggest that the N300 reflects expectancy, but only for categorical and/or semantic similarity priming. Results further suggest that the N400RP is a replicable ERP component that responds to semantic matching. There is also some evidence that the N400 indirectly responds to both ASA and expectancy, perhaps as part of a post-lexical updating process and that backward priming at short SOAs is different from that at long SOAs. Significance: Improved understanding of the semantic properties of the N400 and related ERP components may increase their utility for understanding language processes and for diagnostic purposes.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1053-1068 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Clinical Neurophysiology |
| Volume | 118 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2007 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Attention
- Event related potential (ERP)
- N400
- Semantic priming
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
- Neurology
- Sensory Systems
- Physiology (medical)
Cite this
Semantic priming modulates the N400, N300, and N400RP. / Franklin, Michael S.; Dien, Joseph; Neely, James H.; Huber, Elizabeth; Waterson, Lauren D.
In: Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 118, No. 5, 05.2007, p. 1053-1068.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Semantic priming modulates the N400, N300, and N400RP
AU - Franklin, Michael S.
AU - Dien, Joseph
AU - Neely, James H.
AU - Huber, Elizabeth
AU - Waterson, Lauren D.
PY - 2007/5
Y1 - 2007/5
N2 - Objective: To determine whether ERP components can differentiate between the semantic priming mechanisms of automatic spreading activation, expectancy, and semantic matching. Methods: The present study manipulated two factors known to differentiate semantic priming mechanisms: associations between words (forward, backward, and symmetrical) and prime-target stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA). Twenty-six participants were tested in each SOA condition while high-density 128-channel data were collected. Principal components analysis was applied to separate the ERP components. Results: Priming was observed for all conditions. Three semantic components were present: (1) the standard N400 effect for symmetric and forward priming pairs at both short and long SOAs, (2) an N300 for the long SOA symmetric priming pairs, and (3) a right-lateralized posterior N400RP for long SOA backward priming pairs. Conclusions: Results suggest that the N300 reflects expectancy, but only for categorical and/or semantic similarity priming. Results further suggest that the N400RP is a replicable ERP component that responds to semantic matching. There is also some evidence that the N400 indirectly responds to both ASA and expectancy, perhaps as part of a post-lexical updating process and that backward priming at short SOAs is different from that at long SOAs. Significance: Improved understanding of the semantic properties of the N400 and related ERP components may increase their utility for understanding language processes and for diagnostic purposes.
AB - Objective: To determine whether ERP components can differentiate between the semantic priming mechanisms of automatic spreading activation, expectancy, and semantic matching. Methods: The present study manipulated two factors known to differentiate semantic priming mechanisms: associations between words (forward, backward, and symmetrical) and prime-target stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA). Twenty-six participants were tested in each SOA condition while high-density 128-channel data were collected. Principal components analysis was applied to separate the ERP components. Results: Priming was observed for all conditions. Three semantic components were present: (1) the standard N400 effect for symmetric and forward priming pairs at both short and long SOAs, (2) an N300 for the long SOA symmetric priming pairs, and (3) a right-lateralized posterior N400RP for long SOA backward priming pairs. Conclusions: Results suggest that the N300 reflects expectancy, but only for categorical and/or semantic similarity priming. Results further suggest that the N400RP is a replicable ERP component that responds to semantic matching. There is also some evidence that the N400 indirectly responds to both ASA and expectancy, perhaps as part of a post-lexical updating process and that backward priming at short SOAs is different from that at long SOAs. Significance: Improved understanding of the semantic properties of the N400 and related ERP components may increase their utility for understanding language processes and for diagnostic purposes.
KW - Attention
KW - Event related potential (ERP)
KW - N400
KW - Semantic priming
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34047095987&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34047095987&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.clinph.2007.01.012
DO - 10.1016/j.clinph.2007.01.012
M3 - Article
C2 - 17336145
AN - SCOPUS:34047095987
VL - 118
SP - 1053
EP - 1068
JO - Clinical Neurophysiology
JF - Clinical Neurophysiology
SN - 1388-2457
IS - 5
ER -