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01-09-2019 | Original Paper

How Action Context Modulates the Action-Language Relationship: A Topographic ERP Analysis

Authors: Sophie-Anne Beauprez, Betty Laroche, Cyril Perret, Christel Bidet-Ildei

Published in: Brain Topography | Issue 5/2019

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate how the context in which an action is presented could modulate the effect of action observation on language processing, an effect that is classically observed in the literature. To address this question, we recorded both behavioral (reaction times) and electrophysiological measures (event-related potentials) of participants performing a semantic decision task involving a verb describing an action that was congruent or incongruent with the action presented in a prime picture that had been observed. The prime picture presented an action performed in a usual or an unusual context. The results revealed different behavioral and topographical pattern responses according to the context in which an action is presented. Importantly, only in the usual context, the congruency between the prime picture and the verb stimulus facilitated the semantic processes, leading to shorter response times in this condition compared to the others. Moreover, the topographic analysis revealed that this facilitation was related to reduced processing times for the semantic access to the verb and for the motor preparation for the answer. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the context of an action is crucial in the link between action and language.

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Title: How Action Context Modulates the Action-Language Relationship: A Topographic ERP Analysis
Authors: Sophie-Anne Beauprez
Betty Laroche
Cyril Perret
Christel Bidet-Ildei
Publication date: 01-09-2019
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Brain Topography / Issue 5/2019
Print ISSN: 0896-0267
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6792
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10548-019-00722-y

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How Action Context Modulates the Action-Language Relationship: A Topographic ERP Analysis

Abstract

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Abstract

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