Dombrowski Jan-Henryk, Heil Martin
Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitaetsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Brain Res. 2006 Feb 16;1073-1074:440-3. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2005.12.082. Epub 2006 Jan 25.
From a behavioural point of view, the automaticity of semantic activation was denied because letter search eliminates semantic priming effects on RT. From a neuroscience point of view, two recent studies used the N400 to test this claim with antithetic results. Here, we replicate N400 priming effects in the letter search task. The negative results might be traced back to the use of an inappropriate reference electrode. Thus, the theory of semantic activation being an automatic process should not be abandoned prematurely.
从行为学角度来看，语义激活的自动性被否定了，因为字母搜索消除了对反应时的语义启动效应。从神经科学角度来看，最近的两项研究使用N400来检验这一说法，结果却截然相反。在此，我们在字母搜索任务中重现了N400启动效应。负面结果可能要归因于使用了不合适的参考电极。因此，语义激活是一个自动过程的理论不应被过早摒弃。
