ERP and behavioral effects of semantic ambiguity in a lexical decision task. (November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Haro, Juan; Demestre, Josep; Boada, Roger; Ferré, Pilar
• Is Part Of: Journal of neurolinguistics. Volume 44(2017)
• Page Start: 190
• Page End: 202
• Publication Date: 2017-11
• Subjects: Semantic ambiguity -- Ambiguity advantage -- Meanings relatedness -- Polysemy -- Homonymy -- Word recognition -- ERP -- N400; Neurolinguistics -- Periodicals; Language and languages -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Psycholinguistics -- Periodicals; Brain -- physiology -- Periodicals; Language -- physiology -- Periodicals; Neurolinguistique -- Périodiques; Langage et langues -- Aspect physiologique -- Périodiques; Psycholinguistique -- Périodiques; Language and languages -- Physiological aspects; Neurolinguistics; Psycholinguistics; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.855
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroling.2017.06.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0911-6044

Abstract

Abstract: In the present study we examined electrophysiological and behavioral correlates of ambiguous word processing. In a lexical decision task, participants were presented with ambiguous words with unrelated meanings (i.e., homonyms; e.g., bat ), ambiguous words with related meanings (i.e., polysemes; e.g., newspaper ), and unambiguous words (e.g., guitar ). Ambiguous words elicited larger N400 amplitudes than unambiguous words and showed an advantage in RTs. Importantly, no differences were found between homonyms and polysemes, on either N400 amplitudes or in RTs. These results suggest that ambiguous words, regardless of the relatedness between their meanings, benefit from enhanced semantic activation in comparison to unambiguous words during word recognition. Highlights: ERPs were used to examine ambiguous word processing. Homonyms, polysemes and unambiguous words were presented in a LDT. Ambiguous words showed larger N400 and faster RTs than unambiguous words. Homonyms and polysemes did not differ neither in N400 amplitudes nor in RTs.