title: On the influence of typicality and age of acquisition on semantic processing: Diverging evidence from behavioural and ERP responses.
abstract: Various behavioural studies show that semantic typicality (TYP) and age of acquisition (AOA) of a specific word influence processing time and accuracy during the performance of lexical-semantic tasks. This study examines the influence of TYP and AOA on semantic processing at behavioural (response times and accuracy data) and electrophysiological levels using an auditory category-member-verification task. Reaction time data reveal independent TYP and AOA effects, while in the accuracy data and the event-related potentials predominantly effects of TYP can be found. The present study thus confirms previous findings and extends evidence found in the visual modality to the auditory modality. A modality-independent influence on semantic word processing is manifested. However, with regard to the influence of AOA, the diverging results raise questions on the origin of AOA effects as well as on the interpretation of offline and online data. Hence, results will be discussed against the background of recent theories on N400 correlates in semantic processing. In addition, an argument in favour of a complementary use of research techniques will be made.
authors.affiliation: Department of Linguistics, Center of Excellence Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany. Electronic address: romy.raeling@uni-potsdam.de.
authors.forename: Romy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Räling
authors.affiliation: Department of Linguistics, Center of Excellence Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holzgrefe-Lang
authors.affiliation: Department of Linguistics, Center of Excellence Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.affiliation: Department of Linguistics, Center of Excellence Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Isabell
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wartenburger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011578:Psycholinguistics; D011930:Reaction Time; D012660:Semantics; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Age of acquisition; Category verification; Event-related potentials; N400; Semantic priming; Semantic typicality