Processing of and Memory for Anomalous Sentence-Endings: An Event-Related Potential Investigation

Giakas, Sophia

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/109832 Copy

Description

Title

Processing of and Memory for Anomalous Sentence-Endings: An Event-Related Potential Investigation

Author(s)

Giakas, Sophia

Issue Date

2020

Department of Study

Psychology

Degree Name

B.S. (bachelor's)

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• Prediction
• Recognition Memory
• N400
• ERP

Language

en

Abstract

One of the core functions of the brain is to use previously learned associations combined with top-down control to predict future events (refer to Clark, 2013). In processing language, individuals use context to predict upcoming information, which significantly influences the activation of related words in nearby semantic networks. However, language input is sometimes unpredictable. In the current study, the consequences of encountering unexpected but plausible and fully anomalous sentence-endings for processing and for memory were examined. Participants read sentences that ended either with the predicted word, an unexpected word that was nevertheless plausible, or an anomalous word. On a subsequent recognition test, they were asked to discriminate new words from those they had seen as sentence endings. Previous research concludes that predicted words or concepts can linger in the brain after recent activation of related words, and may then lead to false recognition (Hubbard et al., 2019). We replicated this pattern. Participants were able to discriminate between old versus new items successfully but tended to false alarm to expected items that had been predicted but were not in the sentences. Moreover, event-related potentials showed that anomalous words captured attention (indexed by larger N1 responses) but it was unexpected but plausible words that were best remembered (had the largest LPC during the recognition memory test).

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/109832

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2020 Sophia Giakas

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