title: The role of sensory-motor modality compatibility in language processing.
abstract: Language processing requires the combination of compatible (auditory-vocal and visual-manual) or incompatible (auditory-manual and visual-vocal) sensory-motor modalities, and switching between these sensory-motor modality combinations is very common in every-day life. Sensory-motor modality compatibility is defined as the similarity of stimulus modality and the modality of response-related sensory consequences. We investigated the influence of sensory-motor modality compatibility during performing language-related cognitive operations on different linguistic levels. More specifically, we used a variant of the task-switching paradigm, in which participants had to switch between compatible or between incompatible sensory-motor modality combinations during a verbal semantic categorization (Experiment 1) or during a word-form decision (Experiment 2). The data show higher switch costs (i.e., higher reaction times and error rates in switch trials compared to repetition trials) in incompatible sensory-motor modality combinations than in compatible sensory-motor modality combinations. This was true for every language-related cognitive operation, regardless of the individual linguistic level. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that sensory-motor modality compatibility plays an important role in modality switching during language processing.
authors: Institute of Psychology, RWTH Aachen University, Jägerstrasse 17-19, 52066, Aachen, Germany. Schaeffner@psych.rwth-aachen.de.
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Schaeffner
authors: Institute of Psychology, RWTH Aachen University, Jägerstrasse 17-19, 52066, Aachen, Germany.
authors: Iring
authors: I
authors: Koch
authors: Institute of Psychology, RWTH Aachen University, Jägerstrasse 17-19, 52066, Aachen, Germany.
authors: Andrea M
authors: AM
authors: Philipp
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult