Perceptual Priming Versus Explicit Memory: Dissociable Neural Correlates at Encoding
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Fractionating the word repetition effect with event-related potentials
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Event-related potentials and recognition memory for low-and high-frequency words
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
An event-related potential (erp) analysis of semantic congruity and repetition effects in sentences
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
The processing nature of the n400: Evidence from masked priming
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Learning and consolidation of novel spoken words
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
The role of awareness in semantic and syntactic processing: An erp attentional blink study
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Anomalies at the borderline of awareness: An erp study
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
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The vast majority of word meanings are learned simply by extracting them from context rather than by rote memorization or explicit instruction. Although this skill is remarkable, little is known about the brain mechanisms involved. In the present study, ERPs were recorded as participants read stories in which pseudowords were presented multiple times, embedded in consistent, meaningful contexts (referred to as meaning condition, M+) or inconsistent, meaningless contexts (M-). Word learning was then assessed implicitly using a lexical decision task and explicitly through recall and recognition tasks. Overall, during story reading, M-words elicited a larger N400 than M+ words, suggesting that participants were better able to semantically integrate M+ words than M-words throughout the story. In addition, M+ words whose meanings were subsequently correctly recognized and recalled elicited a more positive ERP in a later time window compared with M+ words whose meanings were incorrectly remembered, consistent with the idea that the late positive component is an index of encoding processes. In the lexical decision task, no behavioral or electrophysiological evidence for implicit priming was found for M+ words. In contrast, during the explicit recognition task, M+ words showed a robust N400 effect. The N400 effect was dependent upon recognition performance, such that only correctly recognized M+ words elicited an N400. This pattern of results provides evidence that the explicit representations of word meanings can develop rapidly, whereas implicit representations may require more extensive exposure or more time to emerge.