The N400 event-related potential as a neural correlate of language proficiency

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event The N400 event-related potential as a neural correlate of language proficiency Erin Corkett1* and Stephen Provost1 1 Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Australia Aims: The N400 component of event-related potentials (ERPs) is a neural correlate of language processing. Despite there being a rich literature on the N400, little is known about its potential as a measure of language proficiency in an individuals’ ability to read, write, and speak. We examined whether there is a relationship between the N400 and language proficiency. Method: Participants completed three tasks: the National Adult Reading Task (NART), a sentence discrimination task, and a lexical decision task. Electroencephalography was recorded from 16 participants in the lexical decision task. An individual trial consisted of a fixation cross for 3000 ms, a prime word for 400 ms, a second fixation cross for 750 ms, a target word that was either congruent or incongruent with the prime word for 400 ms, and a third fixation cross for 500 ms. Results: A difference wave comparing ERPs to congruent and incongruent words was calculated over the time-window associated with N400 (350 to 500 ms). The size of this difference wave was correlated with scores on the NART, sentence discrimination task, and lexical decision task. Conclusions: The relation between psychophysiological and behavioural measures of linguistic ability are important as they help to inform both theories of such behaviour, and potential efforts to find effective means for the amelioration of deficient performance. The evidence described here provides the first such investigation in an adult higher education population. The results will be used in the development of teaching strategies designed to support the acquisition of high-level language skills. Keywords: language processing, N400, event-related potential, Linguistic proficiency Conference: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015, Coffs Harbour, Australia, 25 Sep - 26 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Research Topic: Psychology Citation: Corkett E and Provost S (2015). The N400 event-related potential as a neural correlate of language proficiency. Front. Psychol. Conference Abstract: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015. doi: 10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2015.66.00004 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 23 Sep 2015; Published Online: 23 Sep 2015. * Correspondence: Ms. Erin Corkett, Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia, e.corkett.10@student.scu.edu.au Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Erin Corkett Stephen Provost Google Erin Corkett Stephen Provost Google Scholar Erin Corkett Stephen Provost PubMed Erin Corkett Stephen Provost Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.