Neural correlates of Italian nominal compounds and potential impact of headedness effect: an ERP study.
An event-related potential (ERP) technique was used to investigate the way in which noun-noun compounds are processed during a lexical decision task with Italian speakers. Reaction times and error rates were higher for compounds than for noncompounds. ERP data showed a more negative peak in the left anterior negativity (LAN) component for compounds. These results are compatible with a dual-route model that posits not only whole-word access for compounds but also an activation of decomposed representations of compound constituents. A final result relates to head position, which in Italian compounds could be on either the left- or the right-hand side of the word. While behavioural analysis did not reveal a difference between left- and right-headed compounds, a difference was found with the P300 component. The role of the compound head as a crucial information-bearing component is discussed.
El Yagoubi
Radouane
R
University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Chiarelli
Valentina
V
Mondini
Sara
S
Perrone
Gelsomina
G
Danieli
Morena
M
Semenza
Carlo
C
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012660:Semantics; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D014825:Vocabulary; D055815:Young Adult