School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China.
Q J Exp Psychol (Hove). 2022 Apr;75(4):742-753. doi: 10.1177/17470218211047944. Epub 2021 Sep 28.
The enactment effect refers to a phenomenon in which the memory performance for action phrases is enhanced by performing the described action (e.g., sharpen a pencil) compared with simply reading the action phrase. This produced effect can result in improved motor processing. This study investigated the contribution of semantic integration to the enactment effect by contrasting well-integrated phrases, such as "blow up the balloon," with poorly integrated phrases, such as "sew the toothpick," and analysing the N400 component of event-related potentials (ERPs). The subjects encoded action phrases with different degrees of semantic integration by either pretending to perform or reading action phrases. They then completed a phrase recognition test, while electroencephalographic signals were simultaneously recorded. The behavioural results showed that semantic integration improved memory performance under the motor encoding condition but not under the verbal encoding condition. The ERP results revealed that, regardless of whether it was an old (memorised) or new (distractor) phrase, a larger N400 component was elicited under the motor encoding condition than under the verbal encoding condition. In the motor encoding condition, poorly integrated phrases elicited a larger N400 component than well-integrated phrases; in the verbal encoding condition, this effect was not observed. The N400 effect associated with semantic processing was enhanced by semantic integration under the motor encoding condition rather than the verbal encoding condition. These results supported a deep semantic processing mechanism under the motor encoding condition, and a semantic feedback processing mechanism for the enactment effect was partially supported.
施行效应是指与单纯阅读动作短语相比，通过执行所描述的动作（例如，削铅笔）可以增强对动作短语的记忆表现的现象。这种效果可以导致运动加工的改善。本研究通过对比高度整合的短语（例如“吹气球”）和低度整合的短语（例如“缝牙签”），分析事件相关电位（ERP）的 N400 成分，研究了语义整合对施行效应的贡献。被试通过假装执行或阅读动作短语对具有不同语义整合程度的动作短语进行编码。然后，他们完成了一个短语识别测试，同时记录脑电图信号。行为结果表明，无论在运动编码条件下还是在言语编码条件下，语义整合都能提高记忆表现。ERP 结果表明，无论是否是旧（记忆）短语还是新（干扰）短语，在运动编码条件下比在言语编码条件下诱发的 N400 成分更大。在运动编码条件下，低度整合的短语比高度整合的短语诱发更大的 N400 成分；在言语编码条件下，没有观察到这种效应。与语义处理相关的 N400 效应在运动编码条件下而非言语编码条件下通过语义整合得到增强。这些结果支持了运动编码条件下的深层语义处理机制，并部分支持了施行效应的语义反馈处理机制。
