FINDING THE LOCUS OF SEMANTIC SATIATION - AN ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL ATTEMPT

The present study examined the effect of massed repetition of an initi al category name upon the subsequent semantic categorization of a targ et word by means of an electrophysiological measure of semantic proces sing: the N400. Results showed the classic N400 effect, whereby evoked potentials were more negative for targets that were not members of th e repeated category than for member targets. Moreover, repetition of t he category name led to an increased and sustained positivity. The N40 0 effect was not modified, however, by repetition. Hence, insomuch as the N400 reflects meaning integration processes, these results do not support the hypothesis that massed repetition exerts its influence at the level of meaning integration. (C) 1997 Academic Press.