ERIC Number: EJ992336
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Jul
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: 39
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0278-7393
Implicit Word Learning Benefits from Semantic Richness: Electrophysiological and Behavioral Evidence
Rabovsky, Milena; Sommer, Werner; Abdel Rahman, Rasha
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, v38 n4 p1076-1083 Jul 2012
Words differ considerably in the amount of associated semantic information. Despite the crucial role of meaning in language, it is still unclear whether and how this variability modulates language learning. Here, we provide initial evidence demonstrating that implicit learning in repetition priming is influenced by the amount of semantic features associated with a given word. Electroencephalographic recordings were obtained while participants performed a visual lexical decision task; the complete stimulus set was repeated once. Repetition priming effects on performance accuracy and the N400 component of the event-related brain potential were enhanced for words with many semantic features. These findings suggest a novel and important impact of the richness of semantic representations on learning and plasticity within the lexical-conceptual system; they are discussed in their relevance for assumptions concerning basic mechanisms underlying word learning. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Evidence, Semantics, Priming, Vocabulary Development, Role, Language Acquisition, Correlation, Brain Hemisphere Functions, Decision Making, Task Analysis, Diagnostic Tests
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org/publications
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A

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