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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
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Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: June 25, 2019
The effect of word concreteness on recognition memory
K Fliessbach1, S Weis, P Klaver
1University of Bonn, Department of Epileptology, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany. klaus.fliessbach@ukb.uni-bonn.de
Neuroimage
|July 25, 2006
Summary
Concrete words are better remembered than abstract words due to distinct neural processes. Event-related fMRI revealed specific brain activations for concrete word processing and recognition, supporting specialized memory mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Concrete words are recalled better than abstract words.
- Existing theories include dual-coding and context-availability theories.
- Neural mechanisms underlying this memory effect are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate neural mechanisms of memory for concrete versus abstract words.
- Examine word processing during encoding and retrieval.
- Utilize event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Main Methods:
- Recognition memory task with concrete and abstract words.
- Event-related fMRI to measure brain activity.
- Analysis of brain activation during encoding and retrieval phases.
Main Results:
- Memory performance was significantly better for concrete words.
- Abstract words showed greater left inferior frontal cortex activation during encoding and recognition.
- Concrete words elicited stronger bilateral posterior inferior parietal lobe activation during recognition.
- Specific brain regions correlated with successful recognition and the concreteness effect.
Conclusions:
- Findings support distinct neural processes for concrete word memory.
- Specific brain activations are associated with concrete word encoding and retrieval.
- Reactivation of concrete word-specific brain processes occurs during successful recognition.
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