OpenLB
Open Library of Bioscience
Advanced Search
Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience
Jun, 2009;9 (2): 216-28.

A masked priming ERP study of letter processing using single letters and false fonts.

Priya Mitra, Donna Coch
Author Information
  1. Priya Mitra: Department of Education, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA.
PMID: 19403897 DOI: 10.3758/CABN.9.2.216

Abstract

Previous event-related potential (ERP) research on letter processing has suggested that a P150 reflects low-level, featural processing, whereas a P260 reflects high-level, abstract letter processing. In order to investigate the specificity of these effects, ERPs were recorded in a masked priming paradigm using matching and nonmatching pairs of letters (e.g., g-g, g-j) and false fonts (e.g.,[SYMBOL: SEE TEXT], [SYMBOL: SEE TEXT]). If the P150 priming effect indexes featural processing, there should be no effect of condition on the P150, since the letters and false fonts shared visual features. If the P260 priming effect indexes the processing of abstract letter representations, it should be evident only in the letter condition. As was expected, the P150 priming effect was similar for letters and false fonts; however, the P260 priming effect was also similar between conditions. Thus, the P260 priming effect may not be sensitive to abstract letter processing per se, or such processing may be extremely abstract.

References

  1. Neuroimage. 2004 Mar;21(3):829-39 [PMID: 15006649]
  2. Lang Cogn Process. 2008;23(1):183-200 [PMID: 19590754]
  3. Psychon Bull Rev. 2006 Aug;13(4):674-81 [PMID: 17201369]
  4. J Exp Psychol Gen. 1982 Mar;111(1):60-100 [PMID: 6460835]
  5. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1976 May;2(2):222-34 [PMID: 830185]
  6. Trends Cogn Sci. 2007 Nov;11(11):454-5; author reply 456-7 [PMID: 17980644]
  7. Neural Comput. 1997 Aug 15;9(6):1277-89 [PMID: 9248063]
  8. Science. 1990 Aug 31;249(4972):1041-4 [PMID: 2396097]
  9. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2006 May;122(1):99-108 [PMID: 16414004]
  10. Acta Psychol (Amst). 1980 Dec;46(3):181-92 [PMID: 7211436]
  11. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1982 Dec;8(6):834-54 [PMID: 6218235]
  12. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2008 Jun;8(2):222-8 [PMID: 18589511]
  13. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 2008 Feb;34(1):237-41 [PMID: 18248151]
  14. Nature. 1994 Nov 17;372(6503):260-3 [PMID: 7969469]
  15. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Feb 3;95(3):847-52 [PMID: 9448250]
  16. Percept Mot Skills. 1968 Apr;26(2):659-66 [PMID: 5659096]
  17. Nat Neurosci. 2001 Jul;4(7):752-8 [PMID: 11426233]
  18. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1962 Dec;55:897-906 [PMID: 13947718]
  19. Percept Mot Skills. 1984 Aug;59(1):227-32 [PMID: 6493938]
  20. Percept Psychophys. 1991 Jan;49(1):43-52 [PMID: 2011452]
  21. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1983 Oct;9(5):657-74 [PMID: 6227685]
  22. Psychophysiology. 1998 May;35(3):240-51 [PMID: 9564744]
  23. Cereb Cortex. 1999 Jul-Aug;9(5):415-30 [PMID: 10450888]
  24. Neuron. 2007 Jul 5;55(1):143-56 [PMID: 17610823]
  25. Nature. 2003 Jun 12;423(6941):752-6 [PMID: 12802334]
  26. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1998 Dec;24(6):1705-19 [PMID: 9861718]
  27. Science. 1967 Oct 6;158(3797):137-9 [PMID: 6054814]
  28. Psychophysiology. 2005 May;42(3):343-55 [PMID: 15943688]
  29. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1989 Feb;72(2):184-7 [PMID: 2464490]
  30. Trends Cogn Sci. 2003 Jul;7(7):293-299 [PMID: 12860187]
  31. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1984 Oct;10(5):655-66 [PMID: 6238125]
  32. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1989 Feb;15(1):153-63 [PMID: 2522525]
  33. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2005 Dec;5(4):452-66 [PMID: 16541814]
  34. J Cogn Neurosci. 2002 Feb 15;14(2):145-59 [PMID: 11970782]
  35. Brain. 1999 Nov;122 ( Pt 11):2119-32 [PMID: 10545397]
  36. Vision Res. 2006 Dec;46(28):4646-74 [PMID: 16808957]
  37. Cogn Neuropsychol. 2006 Sep;23(6):795-821 [PMID: 21049354]
  38. Percept Psychophys. 2004 Aug;66(6):908-25 [PMID: 15675640]
  39. Q J Exp Psychol A. 2000 Aug;53(3):671-92 [PMID: 10994225]
  40. J Cogn Neurosci. 2004 Mar;16(2):301-17 [PMID: 15068599]
  41. J Cogn Neurosci. 2006 May;18(5):844-58 [PMID: 16768382]
  42. J Cogn Neurosci. 2005 Oct;17(10):1532-52 [PMID: 16269095]
  43. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2005 Sep;5(3):306-18 [PMID: 16396092]
  44. Psychophysiology. 2003 Jan;40(1):115-30 [PMID: 12751809]
  45. J Exp Psychol. 1969 Jan;79(1):1-16 [PMID: 5779622]
  46. J Cogn Neurosci. 2006 Oct;18(10):1631-43 [PMID: 17014368]
  47. Neuropsychologia. 1971 Mar;9(1):97-113 [PMID: 5146491]
  48. J Exp Child Psychol. 2006 Apr;93(4):337-56 [PMID: 16360165]
  49. Int J Psychophysiol. 2007 Sep;65(3):182-92 [PMID: 17512996]
  50. Psychophysiology. 2006 Nov;43(6):564-8 [PMID: 17076812]
  51. Brain. 2000 Feb;123 ( Pt 2):291-307 [PMID: 10648437]
  52. Br J Psychol. 1988 Nov;79 ( Pt 4):455-69 [PMID: 3208001]
  53. Psychophysiology. 2003 Nov;40(6):967-78 [PMID: 14986850]
  54. Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2003 Jun;17(1):56-67 [PMID: 12763192]

Grants

  1. R03HD053362/NICHD NIH HHS

MeSH Term

Adolescent
Adult
Attention
Discrimination, Psychological
Evoked Potentials
Female
Humans
Male
Mental Processes
Pattern Recognition, Visual
Perceptual Masking
Reaction Time
Reading
Reference Values
Young Adult
Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Word Cloud

Created with Highcharts 10.0.0processingpriminglettereffectP150P260abstractlettersfalsefontsERPreflectsfeaturalmaskedusingeg[SYMBOL:SEETEXT]indexesconditionsimilarmayPreviousevent-relatedpotentialresearchsuggestedlow-levelwhereashigh-levelorderinvestigatespecificityeffectsERPsrecordedparadigmmatchingnonmatchingpairsg-gg-jsincesharedvisualfeaturesrepresentationsevidentexpectedhoweveralsoconditionsThussensitiveperseextremelystudysingle

Similar Articles

Cited By