Rappresentazione dell’azione e sistema linguistico: quali elementi comuni? Evidenze empiriche mediante l’analisi dell’effetto N400 e dei TR

Translated title of the contribution: [Autom. eng. transl.] Action representation and linguistic system: what common elements? Empirical evidence by analyzing the N400 and TR effects

Cristina Liviana Caldiroli, Michela Balconi

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

[Autom. eng. transl.] Introduction: the close relationship between language and action has been highlighted by the theories of embodied cognition, based on empirical evidence that it is possible to detect the contribution of motor areas in linguistic tasks. In the present work we propose to investigate the inverse equation: through the vision of a sequence of actions that include a semantic anomaly, the presence of the ERPs N400 index was explored, generally considered as a predictor of linguistic inconsistencies. Method: Fifteen subjects explicitly evaluated the degree of semantic plausibility of some sequences of actions (frames of four images) congruent (action coherent with the context) or incongruent, (action that violated the semantic expectations derived from the context). Results: The morphological analysis of the ERP profile and the subsequent statistical analysis (repeated measures ANOVA) performed on the ERPs indexes shows the significance of the N400 marker; with maximum frontal and temporal-parietal intensity and greater amplitude in the condition of incongruity of the action. Also the TRs show a greater latency due to the condition of incongruity. Conclusion: The ERP N400 index, previously detected for linguistic tasks, is responsive to the congruence / inconsistency condition for action representation tasks. This data would confirm the presence of a difficulty in accessing semantic memory, also supported by a greater latency of TRs. Faced with a superimposition of the semantic meaning of the ERP marker between the domain of language and action, a differentiation with respect to cortical localization is present, with greater frontal and temporo-parietal distribution in the case of representation of the action. This differentiation leads us to consider the existence of partially distinct cortical networks for the two domains
Translated title of the contribution[Autom. eng. transl.] Action representation and linguistic system: what common elements? Empirical evidence by analyzing the N400 and TR effects
Original languageItalian
Title of host publicationAtti del XVII Congresso annuale Associazione Italiana di Psicologia - Sez. Psicologia Sperimentale
Pages54
Number of pages1
Publication statusPublished - 2011
EventXVII Congresso annuale Associazione Italiana di Psicologia - Sez. Psicologia Sperimentale - Catania
Duration: 14 Sept 201116 Sept 2011

Conference

ConferenceXVII Congresso annuale Associazione Italiana di Psicologia - Sez. Psicologia Sperimentale
CityCatania
Period14/9/1116/9/11

Keywords

  • ERPs

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