In this paper we present an ERP study examining the underlying nature of semantic representation of animate and inanimate objects. Time-locking ERP signatures to the onset of auditory stimuli we found topological similarities in animate and inanimate object processing. Moreover, we found no difference between animates and inanimates in the N400 amplitude, when mapping more specific to more general representation (visual to auditory stimuli). These studies provide further evidence for the theory of unitary semantic organization, but no support for the feature-based prediction of segregated conceptual organization. Further comparisons of animate vs. inanimate matches and within-vs. between-category mismatches revealed following results: processing of animate matches elicited more positivity than processing of inanimates within the N400 time-window; also, inanimate mismatches elicited a stronger N400 than did animate mismatches. Based on these findings we argue that one of the possible ex...planations for finding different and sometimes contradictory results in the literature regarding processing and representations of animates and inanimates in the brain could lie in the variability of selected items within each of the categories, that is, homogeneity of the categories.
TY - JOUR
AU - Ković, Vanja
AU - Plunkett, Kim
AU - Westermann, Gert
PY - 2010
UR - http://reff.f.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/999
AB - In this paper we present an ERP study examining the underlying nature of semantic representation of animate and inanimate objects. Time-locking ERP signatures to the onset of auditory stimuli we found topological similarities in animate and inanimate object processing. Moreover, we found no difference between animates and inanimates in the N400 amplitude, when mapping more specific to more general representation (visual to auditory stimuli). These studies provide further evidence for the theory of unitary semantic organization, but no support for the feature-based prediction of segregated conceptual organization. Further comparisons of animate vs. inanimate matches and within-vs. between-category mismatches revealed following results: processing of animate matches elicited more positivity than processing of inanimates within the N400 time-window; also, inanimate mismatches elicited a stronger N400 than did animate mismatches. Based on these findings we argue that one of the possible explanations for finding different and sometimes contradictory results in the literature regarding processing and representations of animates and inanimates in the brain could lie in the variability of selected items within each of the categories, that is, homogeneity of the categories.
PB - Društvo psihologa Srbije, Beograd
T2 - Psihologija
T1 - A Unitary Account of Conceptual Representations of Animate/Inanimate Categories
EP - 165
IS - 2
SP - 155
VL - 43
DO - 10.2298/PSI1002155K
ER -
@article{
author = "Ković, Vanja and Plunkett, Kim and Westermann, Gert",
year = "2010",
abstract = "In this paper we present an ERP study examining the underlying nature of semantic representation of animate and inanimate objects. Time-locking ERP signatures to the onset of auditory stimuli we found topological similarities in animate and inanimate object processing. Moreover, we found no difference between animates and inanimates in the N400 amplitude, when mapping more specific to more general representation (visual to auditory stimuli). These studies provide further evidence for the theory of unitary semantic organization, but no support for the feature-based prediction of segregated conceptual organization. Further comparisons of animate vs. inanimate matches and within-vs. between-category mismatches revealed following results: processing of animate matches elicited more positivity than processing of inanimates within the N400 time-window; also, inanimate mismatches elicited a stronger N400 than did animate mismatches. Based on these findings we argue that one of the possible explanations for finding different and sometimes contradictory results in the literature regarding processing and representations of animates and inanimates in the brain could lie in the variability of selected items within each of the categories, that is, homogeneity of the categories.",
publisher = "Društvo psihologa Srbije, Beograd",
journal = "Psihologija",
title = "A Unitary Account of Conceptual Representations of Animate/Inanimate Categories",
pages = "165-155",
number = "2",
volume = "43",
doi = "10.2298/PSI1002155K"
}
Ković, V., Plunkett, K.,& Westermann, G.. (2010). A Unitary Account of Conceptual Representations of Animate/Inanimate Categories. in Psihologija
Društvo psihologa Srbije, Beograd., 43(2), 155-165.
https://doi.org/10.2298/PSI1002155K
Ković V, Plunkett K, Westermann G. A Unitary Account of Conceptual Representations of Animate/Inanimate Categories. in Psihologija. 2010;43(2):155-165.
doi:10.2298/PSI1002155K .
Ković, Vanja, Plunkett, Kim, Westermann, Gert, "A Unitary Account of Conceptual Representations of Animate/Inanimate Categories" in Psihologija, 43, no. 2 (2010):155-165,
https://doi.org/10.2298/PSI1002155K . .
