The N400-concreteness effect reflects the retrieval of semantic information during the preparation of meaningful actions |
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Authors: | M. van Elk H.T. van Schie |
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Affiliation: | a Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, The Netherlands b Radboud University Nijmegen, Behavioural Science Institute, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | The present ERP study investigated when and how action semantics, i.e. the conceptual knowledge that we acquired over the course of our lives, is activated during the preparation of object-directed actions. Subjects were required to grasp one of two objects and were implicitly instructed to either perform a meaningful action (e.g. moving a cup towards the mouth) or a meaningless action with the object (e.g. moving a cup towards the eye). A larger anterior N400 was found for the preparation of meaningful compared to meaningless actions, likely reflecting the retrieval of action semantic information in case a meaningful action was required with the object. The distribution and the latency of the anterior N400-effect were strongly related to standard N400-repetition effects, thereby further corroborating the semantic nature of the effect. In sum, the present study provides new insight in the neural and temporal dynamics underlying semantics for action. |
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Keywords: | Action semantics N400 Objects Meaningful actions Concreteness effect |
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