Matching pictures and signs: An ERP study of the effects of iconic structural alignment in American sign language

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to explore the effects of iconicity and structural visual alignment between a picture-prime and a sign-target in a picture-sign matching task in American Sign Language (ASL). Half the targets were iconic signs and were presented after a) a matching visually-...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Emmorey, K. (Author), Holcomb, P.J (Author), Massa, N. (Author), McGarry, M.E (Author), Midgley, K.J (Author), Mott, M. (Author)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier Ltd 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:View Fulltext in Publisher
LEADER 03252nam a2200637Ia 4500
001 10.1016-j.neuropsychologia.2021.108051
008 220427s2021 CNT 000 0 und d
020 |a 00283932 (ISSN) 
245 1 0 |a Matching pictures and signs: An ERP study of the effects of iconic structural alignment in American sign language 
260 0 |b Elsevier Ltd  |c 2021 
856 |z View Fulltext in Publisher  |u https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108051 
520 3 |a Event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to explore the effects of iconicity and structural visual alignment between a picture-prime and a sign-target in a picture-sign matching task in American Sign Language (ASL). Half the targets were iconic signs and were presented after a) a matching visually-aligned picture (e.g., the shape and location of the hands in the sign COW align with the depiction of a cow with visible horns), b) a matching visually-nonaligned picture (e.g., the cow's horns were not clearly shown), and c) a non-matching picture (e.g., a picture of a swing instead of a cow). The other half of the targets were filler signs. Trials in the matching condition were responded to faster than those in the non-matching condition and were associated with smaller N400 amplitudes in deaf ASL signers. These effects were also observed for hearing non-signers performing the same task with spoken-English targets. Trials where the picture-prime was aligned with the sign target were responded to faster than non-aligned trials and were associated with a reduced P3 amplitude rather than a reduced N400, suggesting that picture-sign alignment facilitated the decision process, rather than lexical access. These ERP and behavioral effects of alignment were found only for the ASL signers. The results indicate that iconicity effects on sign comprehension may reflect a task-dependent strategic use of iconicity, rather than facilitation of lexical access. © 2021 The Authors 
650 0 4 |a accuracy 
650 0 4 |a adult 
650 0 4 |a Article 
650 0 4 |a clinical article 
650 0 4 |a comprehension 
650 0 4 |a controlled study 
650 0 4 |a Deaf 
650 0 4 |a Deafness 
650 0 4 |a decision making 
650 0 4 |a electroencephalography 
650 0 4 |a Electroencephalography 
650 0 4 |a English (language) 
650 0 4 |a ERPs 
650 0 4 |a event related potential 
650 0 4 |a Evoked Potentials 
650 0 4 |a evoked response 
650 0 4 |a female 
650 0 4 |a Female 
650 0 4 |a hearing impaired person 
650 0 4 |a hearing impairment 
650 0 4 |a human 
650 0 4 |a Humans 
650 0 4 |a Iconicity 
650 0 4 |a language 
650 0 4 |a Language 
650 0 4 |a language processing 
650 0 4 |a male 
650 0 4 |a Male 
650 0 4 |a reaction time 
650 0 4 |a semantics 
650 0 4 |a Semantics 
650 0 4 |a sign language 
650 0 4 |a Sign language 
650 0 4 |a Sign Language 
650 0 4 |a Structural alignment 
650 0 4 |a United States 
650 0 4 |a United States 
700 1 |a Emmorey, K.  |e author 
700 1 |a Holcomb, P.J.  |e author 
700 1 |a Massa, N.  |e author 
700 1 |a McGarry, M.E.  |e author 
700 1 |a Midgley, K.J.  |e author 
700 1 |a Mott, M.  |e author 
773 |t Neuropsychologia