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Abstract:
Abstract: Recent evidence in favor of parallel processing of
semantic knowledge and names for familiar faces (Abdel Rahman,
Sommer, & Schweinberger, 1998) led to the question whether this
holds true also for object identification and naming. We recorded
the lateralized readiness potential (LRP) as a measure of central
response activation in a two-choice go/no-go procedure. The task
required both, the retrieval of semantic and phonological
properties of pictures of mammals, scaled to the same size. An easy
(big / small animal) or difficult (herbivore / omnivore) semantic
classification specified the response hand whereas the first letter
of the name (vowel / consonant) determined whether to respond or
not. An LRP in no-go trials was only present for the easy but not
for the more time-consuming difficult semantic classification task.
The LRP onset preceded the response by a longer interval for the
easy than for the difficult semantic task. Both findings are
predicted by parallel but not by serial models. We conclude that at
least part of semantic knowledge retrieval occurs in parallel to
phonological encoding. Abdel Rahman, R., Sommer, W., &
Schweinberger, S. (1998). Parallel or sequential access to
semantics and proper names of famous faces? Journal of Cognitive
Neuroscience, Supplement.
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