Chow, W-Y; Lago, S; Barrios, S; Parker, D; Morini, G; Lau, E; (2014) Additive Effects of Repetition and Predictability during Comprehension: Evidence from Event-Related Potentials. PLoS ONE , 9 (6) , Article e99199. 10.1371/journal.pone.0099199.

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Abstract

Previous research has shown that neural responses to words during sentence comprehension are sensitive to both lexical repetition and a word’s predictability in context. While previous research has often contrasted the effects of these variables (e.g. by looking at cases in which word repetition violates sentence-level constraints), little is known about how they work in tandem. In the current study we examine how recent exposure to a word and its predictability in context combine to impact lexical semantic processing. We devise a novel paradigm that combines reading comprehension with a recognition memory task, allowing for an orthogonal manipulation of a word’s predictability and its repetition status. Using event-related brain potentials (ERPs), we show that word repetition and predictability have qualitatively similar and additive effects on the N400 amplitude. We propose that prior exposure to a word and predictability impact lexical semantic processing in an additive and independent fashion.

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