Qualitatively different neural mechanisms for conscious and subliminal multiple word integration
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1
University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychology, The Netherlands
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2
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, the Netherlands, The Netherlands
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3
INSERM, ICM Research Center, UMRS 975, France
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4
University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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5
Collège de France, France
Although great progress has been made in characterizing the flow of information triggered by a single unconscious visual stimulus, whether and how multiple sources of unconscious information can be integrated is strongly debated. Influential models suggest that consciousness is required for multiple-step rule-based algorithms, for example in doing mental arithmetic or performing grammatical language operations. Here we tested this hypothesis and explored whether language circuits can process simple grammatical constructions unconsciously, and integrate the meaning of several unseen words. Using behavioral priming and electroencephalography (EEG), we studied a specific rule-based linguistic operation traditionally thought to require conscious cognitive control: the negation of valence. Two subliminal/visible words were successively (Exp. 1) or simultaneously presented (Exp. 2), a modifier ("not"/"very") and an adjective (e.g., "good"/"bad"), followed by a visible target noun (e.g., "peace"/"murder") that required a response. The combination of these three words could either be contextually consistent (e.g., "very bad - murder") or inconsistent (e.g., "not bad - murder"). EEG recordings revealed that grammatical negations could unfold partly unconsciously, as reflected in similar occipito-parietal N400 effects for conscious and unconscious three-word sequences forming inconsistent combinations. However, only conscious word sequences elicited P600 effects, later in time. Overall, these results suggest that multiple unconscious words can be rapidly integrated and that an unconscious negation can automatically "flip the sign" of an unconscious adjective. However, they also highlight that consciousness modulates the grammatical integration of multiple words. We speculate that the time-consuming re-analysis of the preceding word sequence, which relies on active working memory mechanisms and is reflected in the P600, might require conscious awareness.
Keywords:
Consciousness,
Language,
EEG,
subliminal processing,
multiple word integration
Conference:
XII International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON-XII), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 27 Jul - 31 Jul, 2014.
Presentation Type:
Oral Presentation
Topic:
Sensation and Perception
Citation:
Van Gaal
S,
Naccache
L,
Meuwese
J,
Van Loon
A,
Leighton
A,
Cohen
L and
Dehaene
S
(2015). Qualitatively different neural mechanisms for conscious and subliminal multiple word integration.
Conference Abstract:
XII International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON-XII).
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2015.217.00059
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Received:
19 Feb 2015;
Published Online:
24 Apr 2015.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Simon Van Gaal, University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, simonvangaal@gmail.com