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A unitary account of conceptual representations of animate/inanimate categories

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A unitary account of conceptual representations of animate/inanimate categories. / Kovic, Vanja; Plunkett, Kim; Westermann, Gert.
In: Psihologija, Vol. 43, No. 2, 2010, p. 155-165.

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Kovic V, Plunkett K, Westermann G. A unitary account of conceptual representations of animate/inanimate categories. Psihologija. 2010;43(2):155-165. doi: 10.2298/PSI1002155K

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Kovic, Vanja ; Plunkett, Kim ; Westermann, Gert. / A unitary account of conceptual representations of animate/inanimate categories. In: Psihologija. 2010 ; Vol. 43, No. 2. pp. 155-165.

Bibtex

@article{e61f3b1ab8274dd5a76c4e17420efdba,
title = "A unitary account of conceptual representations of animate/inanimate categories",
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.",
keywords = "mental representations, animacy, auditory stimuli, ERP, N400, EVENT-RELATED POTENTIALS, BRAIN POTENTIALS, SEMANTIC MEMORY, OBJECT IDENTIFICATION, PICTURES, COMPREHENSION, ORGANIZATION, INCONGRUITY, INTEGRATION, DISCOURSE",
author = "Vanja Kovic and Kim Plunkett and Gert Westermann",
year = "2010",
doi = "10.2298/PSI1002155K",
language = "English",
volume = "43",
pages = "155--165",
journal = "Psihologija",
issn = "0048-5705",
publisher = "Serbian Psychological Society",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - A unitary account of conceptual representations of animate/inanimate categories

AU - Kovic, Vanja

AU - Plunkett, Kim

AU - Westermann, Gert

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - 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.

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.

KW - mental representations

KW - animacy

KW - auditory stimuli

KW - ERP

KW - N400

KW - EVENT-RELATED POTENTIALS

KW - BRAIN POTENTIALS

KW - SEMANTIC MEMORY

KW - OBJECT IDENTIFICATION

KW - PICTURES

KW - COMPREHENSION

KW - ORGANIZATION

KW - INCONGRUITY

KW - INTEGRATION

KW - DISCOURSE

U2 - 10.2298/PSI1002155K

DO - 10.2298/PSI1002155K

M3 - Journal article

VL - 43

SP - 155

EP - 165

JO - Psihologija

JF - Psihologija

SN - 0048-5705

IS - 2

ER -