ERP evidence for memory and predictive mechanisms in word-to-text integration

Abstract

During reading, word-to-text integration (WTI) proceeds quickly and incrementally through both prediction and memory processes. We tested predictive and memory mechanisms with event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded on critical words that were across a sentence boundary from co-referential words that differed in dominant direction of lexical association. For comparison of text comprehension, participants performed meaning judgements on a matched set of word pairs. In both tasks, reduced N400 amplitudes were elicited over central scalp electrodes by words associated in either direction relative to task-specific baseline conditions. A temporal principal component analysis of the ERP data extracted a component reflecting this central N400. Additionally, for the text comprehension task early (N200) and late (parietal N400 and P600) discriminated between forward associated and backward associated conditions. The results demonstrate that, beyond N400 indicators of prediction, ERPs reflect the role of memory processes in WTI across sentences.

Keywords:

• text comprehension
• integration
• lexical association
• meaning judgements
• ERPs

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23273798.2015.1062119.

ORCID

Joseph Z. Stafura http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5616-6913

Notes

1 Discarded were a pre-baseline component reflecting processing of the prime word, a component peaking at 120 ms that reflects early visual processing captured by the P100 ERP component, a component peaking at 384 ms that was essentially a sinusoidal wave, and two late components peaking at 560 and 696 ms that reflected response-related activity and artefactual/time drift across trials, respectively.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by the NICHD [grant number R01HD058566-02] to Charles A. Perfetti.