Bridging the gap between the semantic N400 and the early old/new memory effect

Abstract

We set out to investigate the extent to which semantic integration processes during language comprehension indexed by the N400 component affect subsequent declarative memory processes as revealed by the putative event-related potential correlates of familiarity and recollection. To this end we designed an incidental recognition memory test whose study material was composed of sentences that were either correct or contained a semantic or syntactic violation. By this means it was possible to examine the mnemonic consequences of the N400 amplitude at study. We found a significant correlation between the amplitude of the N400 at encoding and the magnitude of the familiarity-related early old/new effect at test. It is argued that the processes that contributed to N400 generation increase the likelihood of familiarity-based recognition memory.