Effects of working memory load on lexical-semantic encoding in language production

Area of Science:

• Psycholinguistics
• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Models of lexical access propose both bottom-up and top-down influences on language production.
• The cyclic semantic blocking paradigm allows for the investigation of top-down control in lexical-semantic encoding.
• Working memory (WM) is hypothesized to play a crucial role in top-down modulation during language tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of working memory (WM) in the top-down modulation of lexical-semantic representations.
• To examine how WM load interacts with semantic context effects in language production.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the cyclic semantic blocking paradigm, manipulating semantic relatedness and WM load.
• Assessed participants' object naming latencies.
• Conducted a word-naming task with identical materials to isolate effects.

Main Results:

• Object naming latencies were significantly affected by semantic context, WM load, and their interaction.
• The word-naming task showed a main effect of WM load but no significant semantic context effects.
• These findings suggest WM's critical role in mediating top-down control in language production.

Conclusions:

• Working memory load modulates the influence of semantic context on lexical access during language production.
• Top-down control in lexical selection is sensitive to working memory capacity.
• Results inform theoretical models of language production and lexical access.