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Timing the Metaphoric Brain

Contribution of ERPs and Source Localization to Understainding Figurative Language

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Brain Research in Language

Part of the book series: Literacy Studies ((LITS,volume 1))

In a series of studies we examined the processing of unfamiliar metaphors using event related potentials (ERPs). We compared the patterns of brain electrical activity elicited by processing two-word expressions denoting literal, conventional metaphoric, and novel metaphoric meaning, as well as unrelated word pairs. Novel metaphors were drawn from poetry texts. The subjects performed a semantic judgment task in which they decided whether each word pair conveyed a meaningful expression. N400 amplitude to the second word of the pair varied as a function of expression type: literal expressions produced the smallest N400, unrelated pairs elicited the largest N400, and metaphoric expressions elicited N400 of intermediate amplitude. ERPs elicited by novel metaphors differed from those elicited by conventional metaphors both on N400 amplitude and scalp distribution. The effect of expression type was not reflected equally across the scalp, and each showed a particular time course and scalp distribution. These findings are consistent with recent brain imaging studies and complement them by adding the temporal dynamics dimension. The contribution to current models of figurative language processing will be discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel

    Abraham Goldstein, Yossi Arzouan & Yossi Arzouan

  2. Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel

    Abraham Goldstein & Yossi Arzouan

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  1. Abraham Goldstein
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  2. Yossi Arzouan
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  1. University of Haifa, Haifa, 31905, Israel

    Zvia Breznitz

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Goldstein, A., Arzouan, Y., Arzouan, Y. (2008). Timing the Metaphoric Brain. In: Breznitz, Z. (eds) Brain Research in Language. Literacy Studies, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-74980-8_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-74980-8_8

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