Journal article
The organization of words and environmental sounds in memory
Neuropsychologia, Vol.69(Mar), pp.67-76
03/2015
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.01.035
PMCID: PMC4516457
PMID: 25624059
Abstract
In the present study we used event-related potentials to compare the organization of linguistic and meaningful nonlinguistic sounds in memory. We examined N400 amplitudes as adults viewed pictures presented with words or environmental sounds that matched the picture (Match), that shared semantic features with the expected match (Near Violation), and that shared relatively few semantic features with the expected match (Far Violation). Words demonstrated incremental N400 amplitudes based on featural similarity from 300–700ms, such that both Near and Far Violations exhibited significant N400 effects, however Far Violations exhibited greater N400 effects than Near Violations. For environmental sounds, Far Violations but not Near Violations elicited significant N400 effects, in both early (300–400ms) and late (500–700ms) time windows, though a graded pattern similar to that of words was seen in the mid-latency time window (400–500ms). These results indicate that the organization of words and environmental sounds in memory is differentially influenced by featural similarity, with a consistently fine-grained graded structure for words but not sounds.
• ERPs for words and environmental sounds show similar scalp distributions.• Words demonstrate graded N400 amplitudes based on featural similarity.• Environmental sounds demonstrate non-graded N400 amplitudes.• Fine-grained organization for words but not sounds in semantic memory.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The organization of words and environmental sounds in memory
- Creators
- Kristi Hendrickson - Center for Research in Language, University of California, San Diego, USAMatthew Walenski - School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University, USAMargaret Friend - Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, USATracy Love - Center for Research in Language, University of California, San Diego, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Neuropsychologia, Vol.69(Mar), pp.67-76
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.01.035
- PMID
- 25624059
- PMCID
- PMC4516457
- NLM abbreviation
- Neuropsychologia
- ISSN
- 0028-3932
- eISSN
- 1873-3514
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Grant note
- HD068458 / NIH (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000002) R01DC009272; R01DC03681 / NIH (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000002) 5T32DC007361 / NIH (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000002)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/2015
- Academic Unit
- Communication Sciences and Disorders; Center for Social Science Innovation
- Record Identifier
- 9984002478702771
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