Language production depends upon the context in which words are named. Renaming previous items results in facilitation while naming pictures semantically related to previous items causes interference. A computational model (Oppenheim, Dell, & Schwartz, 2010) proposes that both facilitation and interference are the result of using naming events as “learning experiences” to ensure future accuracy. The model successfully simulates naming data from different semantic interference paradigms by implementing a learning mechanism that creates interference and a boosting mechanism that resolves interference. This study tested this model’s assumptions that semantic interference effects in naming are created by learning and resolved by boosting. Findings revealed no relationship between individual performance across semantic interference tasks, and measured learning and boosting abilities did not predict performance. These results suggest that learning and boosting mechanisms do not fully characterize the processes underlying semantic interference when naming.

AIM AND PURPOSE: The aim of this research project is to investigate within-language and cross-language semantic facilitation and interference effects in English-Spanish bilingual persons with aphasia and neurotypical adults. The purpose of the project described in this protocol is to gain insight into how languages are initiated in bilingual speakers who present with aphasia, specifically when presented with semantically related stimuli. METHODS: To achieve this aim, participants wore an eye-tracking device and were presented with an image and four word choices. They were asked to match the picture to the most correct word. The word choices included the correct target word, semantically related words in English or Spanish, and at least two semantically unrelated words. The exact distribution of word type was dependent on the experimental condition. Their trial duration, dwell time per area of interest, and total fixation count per area of interest was collected for each trial and analyzed using mixed linear effects models. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that bilinguals with aphasia (BWA) spent significantly more time on trials that included a semantically related word in Spanish, compared to semantically unrelated words in either language or semantically related words in English. This pattern was not seen in neurologically healthy control participants. We also showed that across group all participants spent more time on the target word compared to semantically related words, however, BWA demonstrated increased fixation measures in trials that included a Spanish semantically related word. This pattern was not seen in neurologically healthy control participants. These results demonstrate increased semantic interference in BWA when compared to neurologically healthy control participants. CONCLUSION: Spanish-English BWA may be more susceptible to cross-language semantic interference compared to neurologically healthy bilingual individuals. However, both BWA and neurologically healthy individuals may experience within language semantic interference.

在Rosinski, Golinkoff, & Kukish(1975)提出字圖作業（picture-word task）之後，許多研究者紛紛使用此類作業來探討圖形唸名與字彙閱讀間的關係。過去許多研究在字圖作業上觀察到混淆字的呈現會影響圖形唸名的速度，這種效果稱為語意干擾（semantic interference），研究者亦提出了各種圖形唸名歷程的模式解釋來說明語意干擾效果的成因，同時藉由觀察其他變項對語意干擾效果的影響來區分各個模式的正確性。本研究將操弄混淆字與目標圖間的字形相似性、字音相似性以及不同的刺激呈現時距（SOA）來觀察語意干擾效果及影響因素。實驗一對混淆字與目標圖間字形相似的操弄僅在呈現時距為零時觀察到字形相似可以降低語意干擾效果；實驗二利用相同的作業形式操弄混淆字與目標圖間的字音相似性，未發現字音相似性的促發效果，但仍可觀察到語意干擾效果；實驗三同時操弄字形相似與字音相似變項，但亦未能得到形音的促發效果；最後的實驗四試圖以定義-命名作業（definition-naming task）將字圖唸名作業的效果推展到其他同樣使用文字為混淆刺激的類叫色作業（Stoop-like task）之上，結果發現語意干擾效果在不同的作業間具有普遍性。除此之外，在四個實驗中都可看到與圖形名稱完全相同的混淆字都有很強勁的促進反應效果。整體而言，本實驗以中文材料驗證了完全相似字的促發效果及語意干擾字對圖形唸名的語意干擾效果，但並未能觀察到字形及字音的相似性是否能有效降低語意干擾效果的結果，研究者將在討論中說明可能的解釋原因。

La production de mots intéresse un vaste réseau cérébral principalement localisé dans l'hémisphère gauche, synthétisé dans une revue de littérature traitant des études de production de mots en enregistrements intracérébraux. Nous nous sommes principalement focalisés sur l'implication du réseau cérébral lors de l'accès lexical en utilisant deux protocoles de dénomination d'images manipulant l'interférence sémantique, connue pour moduler les liens entre les étapes sémantiques et lexicales. Nous avons comparé la dynamique spatiotemporelle de ces protocoles utilisés de façon interchangeable dans la littérature, mais qui diffèrent dans l'implication de paramètres méthodologiques pouvant faire intervenir des mécanismes mnésiques tels que la familiarisation et la répétition. Notre hypothèse étant que ces paramètres étant si divergents, le réseau neuronal sous-jacent devrait au moins être modulé selon le protocole étudié. Notre étude EEG révèle deux patterns d'activité électrophysiologique distincts entre les protocoles attribuables à l'effet de familiarisation. Nous avons étudié l'implication de la structure hippocampique dans la production de mot via des enregistrements intracérébraux. Les analyses en temps-fréquence et en champs locaux montrent que l'hippocampe est impliqué dans l'apprentissage progressif des liens sémantico-lexicaux, mais aussi dans leur maintien en mémoire durant une courte période et dans leur récupération. Ce travail de thèse a permis de révéler que la dynamique spatiotemporelle de la dénomination d'images est modulée par différents facteurs, ce qui va à l'encontre de l'implication d'un réseau partagé par ces deux protocoles de dénomination d'images. / Words production involves a vast brain network mainly localized in the left hemisphere, summarized in a review of literature based on studies of word production in intracranial recordings.We focused principally on the involvement of the cerebral network during lexical access by using two picture naming protocols manipulating the semantic interference effect, known to modulate the links between semantic and lexical processes. We compare the spatiotemporal dynamics of these protocols interchangeably used in the literature, but which differ in the involvement of methodological parameters that may involve mnemonic mechanisms such as familiarity and repetition. Our hypothesis was that these parameters are so divergent that the underlying neural network should at least be modulated by the protocol investigated. Our EEG study reveals two distinct patterns of electrophysiological activity between the protocols due to the familiarization effect. We studied the involvement of the hippocampal structure in the production of word through intracranial recordings. The time-frequency and the local field analyses show that the hippocampus is involved in the progressive learning links between semantic and lexicon, but also in keeping them in memory for a short period and in their recovery. This work revealed that the spatiotemporal dynamics of picture naming is modulated by various factors, which goes against the involvement of a common network shared by these two picture naming protocols.

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo geral investigar o efeito de interferência semântica no acesso lexical bilíngue bimodal em um grupo de ouvintes bilíngues bimodais adultos que atuam como TILS - tradutores e intérpretes de LIBRAS – Língua Portuguesa por meio de uma Tarefa de Reconhecimento de Tradução. Quatro objetivos específicos nortearam a pesquisa: (a) verificar o efeito de interferência semântica durante o acesso lexical bilíngue bimodal; (b) avaliar o papel da certificação de proficiência em interpretação PROLIBRAS no desempenho dos participantes na tarefa experimental; (c) avaliar o papel da experiência tradutória, considerando o número de horas de trabalho por semana, no desempenho dos participantes na Tarefa de Reconhecimento de Tradução; e (d) avaliar o papel da experiência como intérpretes de Libras, considerando o número de anos de experiência de trabalho, na Tarefa de Reconhecimento de Tradução. Para a realização da pesquisa foram utilizados dois instrumentos, um Questionário de Histórico da Linguagem e Autoavaliação da Proficiência, e um Teste de Reconhecimento de Tradução desenvolvido especificamente para este estudo, no qual os participantes foram solicitados a observar sequências de sinais em um vídeo seguido de uma palavra em Língua Portuguesa e a responder se a palavra correspondia à tradução correta do sinal. A palavra em Língua Portuguesa poderia se enquadrar em uma das seguintes condições experimentais: tradução correta, tradução incorreta semanticamente relacionada, tradução incorreta semanticamente não relacionada. As hipóteses previam que (a) os participantes seriam mais rápidos em identificar itens na condição de tradução correta do que nas duas outras condições; (b) os intérpretes demonstrariam um menor percentual de erros ao identificar itens na condição de tradução correta do que nas duas outras condições, exibindo percentual de erros ainda maior na condição de tradução incorreta semanticamente relacionada; (c) os participantes que declarassem possuir o certificado de proficiência em interpretação PROLIBRAS teriam um desempenho mais rápido e menor percentual de erros na tarefa; (d) os intérpretes que declarassem atuar mais horas por semana teriam um desempenho mais rápido e menor percentual de erros; por fim, (e) que os participantes que declarassem ter mais anos de experiência seriam mais rápidos e obteriam um menor percentual de erros na tarefa. Os resultados confirmam o efeito de interferência semântica em bilíngues bimodais, embora a análise do papel da experiência linguística tenha revelado que não houve diferença de resultados entre os que possuem a certificação PROLIBRAS e os que não a possuem, sendo que o mesmo foi constatado entre os que trabalham mais ou menos anos como intérpretes. A análise dos resultados da experiência em termos de horas por semana, no entanto, revelou que a comparação entre o grupo que trabalha vinte horas com o que trabalha quarenta horas indicou que os que trabalham menos horas responderam mais rapidamente aos itens de todas as condições de tradução da tarefa. Os resultados são interpretados com base em teorias sobre a representação do conhecimento linguístico, do acesso lexical e da interferência semântica, e sugerem a presença do efeito de interferência semântica nos bilíngues testados. Além disso, a ausência de um efeito da certificação PROLIBRAS na tarefa é analisada como uma indicação da necessidade de se investigar mais profundamente formas alternativas de avaliar a experiência dos intérpretes. / This dissertation has as its general objective to study the semantic interference effect in bimodal bilingual lexical access in a group of hearing adults bimodal bilinguals who work as sign language interpreter LIBRAS – Portuguese through a Translation Recognition Task. Four specific objectives guided this research: (a) to verify the semantic interference effect during bilingual bimodal lexical access; (b) to assess the role of the PROLIBRAS interpreting proficiency certification on the performance of the participants during the experimental task; (c) to assess the role of the translation experience, considering the number of hours of work per week, on the performance of the participants during the Translation Recognition Task; and (d) to assess the role of the experience as interpreters, considering the number of years of work experience, seen through the Translation Recognition Task. In order to accomplish such goals two instruments were used: a Self-Proficiency and Language History Questionnaire and a Translation Recognition Task developed for this study, in which participants were asked to observe sequences of signs in video followed by a word in Portuguese and answer whether the word corresponded as the correct translation of the sign. The word in Portuguese could fit in one of the following experimental conditions: correct translation, semantic related incorrect translation, not semantic related incorrect translation. The hypotheses were that (a) the participants would be faster at identifying items on the correct translation condition than the other two conditions; (b) interpreters would have a smaller error rate at identifying items on the correct translation condition than the other two conditions, showing even more error rate on the semantic related incorrect translation condition; (c) the participants that would declare to own a LIBRAS proficiency certificate would show a faster performance and smaller error rate; and finally, (e) that participants that would declared to have more year of experience as interpreters would be faster and would have a smaller error rate on the task. The results confirmed the semantic interference effect in bimodal bilinguals, although the analyses of the role of the language experience showed no difference of results among those who own a PROLIBRAS certificate and those who do not. The same was seen among those work more or less years as interpreters. The analyses of the results of the experience in terms of hours per week, however, showed that the comparison between the group who work twenty hours with the group who work forty hours indicated that the ones who work fewer hours answered faster to the items in all the task conditions. The results are interpreted using as base the theories about language knowledge representation, lexical access and semantic interference. Besides, the lack of effect on the PROLIBRAS certificate on the task is analyzed as an indication of the need to study deeply alternative ways to assess the experience of the interpreters.

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo geral investigar o efeito de interferência semântica no acesso lexical bilíngue bimodal em um grupo de ouvintes bilíngues bimodais adultos que atuam como TILS - tradutores e intérpretes de LIBRAS – Língua Portuguesa por meio de uma Tarefa de Reconhecimento de Tradução. Quatro objetivos específicos nortearam a pesquisa: (a) verificar o efeito de interferência semântica durante o acesso lexical bilíngue bimodal; (b) avaliar o papel da certificação de proficiência em interpretação PROLIBRAS no desempenho dos participantes na tarefa experimental; (c) avaliar o papel da experiência tradutória, considerando o número de horas de trabalho por semana, no desempenho dos participantes na Tarefa de Reconhecimento de Tradução; e (d) avaliar o papel da experiência como intérpretes de Libras, considerando o número de anos de experiência de trabalho, na Tarefa de Reconhecimento de Tradução. Para a realização da pesquisa foram utilizados dois instrumentos, um Questionário de Histórico da Linguagem e Autoavaliação da Proficiência, e um Teste de Reconhecimento de Tradução desenvolvido especificamente para este estudo, no qual os participantes foram solicitados a observar sequências de sinais em um vídeo seguido de uma palavra em Língua Portuguesa e a responder se a palavra correspondia à tradução correta do sinal. A palavra em Língua Portuguesa poderia se enquadrar em uma das seguintes condições experimentais: tradução correta, tradução incorreta semanticamente relacionada, tradução incorreta semanticamente não relacionada. As hipóteses previam que (a) os participantes seriam mais rápidos em identificar itens na condição de tradução correta do que nas duas outras condições; (b) os intérpretes demonstrariam um menor percentual de erros ao identificar itens na condição de tradução correta do que nas duas outras condições, exibindo percentual de erros ainda maior na condição de tradução incorreta semanticamente relacionada; (c) os participantes que declarassem possuir o certificado de proficiência em interpretação PROLIBRAS teriam um desempenho mais rápido e menor percentual de erros na tarefa; (d) os intérpretes que declarassem atuar mais horas por semana teriam um desempenho mais rápido e menor percentual de erros; por fim, (e) que os participantes que declarassem ter mais anos de experiência seriam mais rápidos e obteriam um menor percentual de erros na tarefa. Os resultados confirmam o efeito de interferência semântica em bilíngues bimodais, embora a análise do papel da experiência linguística tenha revelado que não houve diferença de resultados entre os que possuem a certificação PROLIBRAS e os que não a possuem, sendo que o mesmo foi constatado entre os que trabalham mais ou menos anos como intérpretes. A análise dos resultados da experiência em termos de horas por semana, no entanto, revelou que a comparação entre o grupo que trabalha vinte horas com o que trabalha quarenta horas indicou que os que trabalham menos horas responderam mais rapidamente aos itens de todas as condições de tradução da tarefa. Os resultados são interpretados com base em teorias sobre a representação do conhecimento linguístico, do acesso lexical e da interferência semântica, e sugerem a presença do efeito de interferência semântica nos bilíngues testados. Além disso, a ausência de um efeito da certificação PROLIBRAS na tarefa é analisada como uma indicação da necessidade de se investigar mais profundamente formas alternativas de avaliar a experiência dos intérpretes. / This dissertation has as its general objective to study the semantic interference effect in bimodal bilingual lexical access in a group of hearing adults bimodal bilinguals who work as sign language interpreter LIBRAS – Portuguese through a Translation Recognition Task. Four specific objectives guided this research: (a) to verify the semantic interference effect during bilingual bimodal lexical access; (b) to assess the role of the PROLIBRAS interpreting proficiency certification on the performance of the participants during the experimental task; (c) to assess the role of the translation experience, considering the number of hours of work per week, on the performance of the participants during the Translation Recognition Task; and (d) to assess the role of the experience as interpreters, considering the number of years of work experience, seen through the Translation Recognition Task. In order to accomplish such goals two instruments were used: a Self-Proficiency and Language History Questionnaire and a Translation Recognition Task developed for this study, in which participants were asked to observe sequences of signs in video followed by a word in Portuguese and answer whether the word corresponded as the correct translation of the sign. The word in Portuguese could fit in one of the following experimental conditions: correct translation, semantic related incorrect translation, not semantic related incorrect translation. The hypotheses were that (a) the participants would be faster at identifying items on the correct translation condition than the other two conditions; (b) interpreters would have a smaller error rate at identifying items on the correct translation condition than the other two conditions, showing even more error rate on the semantic related incorrect translation condition; (c) the participants that would declare to own a LIBRAS proficiency certificate would show a faster performance and smaller error rate; and finally, (e) that participants that would declared to have more year of experience as interpreters would be faster and would have a smaller error rate on the task. The results confirmed the semantic interference effect in bimodal bilinguals, although the analyses of the role of the language experience showed no difference of results among those who own a PROLIBRAS certificate and those who do not. The same was seen among those work more or less years as interpreters. The analyses of the results of the experience in terms of hours per week, however, showed that the comparison between the group who work twenty hours with the group who work forty hours indicated that the ones who work fewer hours answered faster to the items in all the task conditions. The results are interpreted using as base the theories about language knowledge representation, lexical access and semantic interference. Besides, the lack of effect on the PROLIBRAS certificate on the task is analyzed as an indication of the need to study deeply alternative ways to assess the experience of the interpreters.

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo geral investigar o efeito de interferência semântica no acesso lexical bilíngue bimodal em um grupo de ouvintes bilíngues bimodais adultos que atuam como TILS - tradutores e intérpretes de LIBRAS – Língua Portuguesa por meio de uma Tarefa de Reconhecimento de Tradução. Quatro objetivos específicos nortearam a pesquisa: (a) verificar o efeito de interferência semântica durante o acesso lexical bilíngue bimodal; (b) avaliar o papel da certificação de proficiência em interpretação PROLIBRAS no desempenho dos participantes na tarefa experimental; (c) avaliar o papel da experiência tradutória, considerando o número de horas de trabalho por semana, no desempenho dos participantes na Tarefa de Reconhecimento de Tradução; e (d) avaliar o papel da experiência como intérpretes de Libras, considerando o número de anos de experiência de trabalho, na Tarefa de Reconhecimento de Tradução. Para a realização da pesquisa foram utilizados dois instrumentos, um Questionário de Histórico da Linguagem e Autoavaliação da Proficiência, e um Teste de Reconhecimento de Tradução desenvolvido especificamente para este estudo, no qual os participantes foram solicitados a observar sequências de sinais em um vídeo seguido de uma palavra em Língua Portuguesa e a responder se a palavra correspondia à tradução correta do sinal. A palavra em Língua Portuguesa poderia se enquadrar em uma das seguintes condições experimentais: tradução correta, tradução incorreta semanticamente relacionada, tradução incorreta semanticamente não relacionada. As hipóteses previam que (a) os participantes seriam mais rápidos em identificar itens na condição de tradução correta do que nas duas outras condições; (b) os intérpretes demonstrariam um menor percentual de erros ao identificar itens na condição de tradução correta do que nas duas outras condições, exibindo percentual de erros ainda maior na condição de tradução incorreta semanticamente relacionada; (c) os participantes que declarassem possuir o certificado de proficiência em interpretação PROLIBRAS teriam um desempenho mais rápido e menor percentual de erros na tarefa; (d) os intérpretes que declarassem atuar mais horas por semana teriam um desempenho mais rápido e menor percentual de erros; por fim, (e) que os participantes que declarassem ter mais anos de experiência seriam mais rápidos e obteriam um menor percentual de erros na tarefa. Os resultados confirmam o efeito de interferência semântica em bilíngues bimodais, embora a análise do papel da experiência linguística tenha revelado que não houve diferença de resultados entre os que possuem a certificação PROLIBRAS e os que não a possuem, sendo que o mesmo foi constatado entre os que trabalham mais ou menos anos como intérpretes. A análise dos resultados da experiência em termos de horas por semana, no entanto, revelou que a comparação entre o grupo que trabalha vinte horas com o que trabalha quarenta horas indicou que os que trabalham menos horas responderam mais rapidamente aos itens de todas as condições de tradução da tarefa. Os resultados são interpretados com base em teorias sobre a representação do conhecimento linguístico, do acesso lexical e da interferência semântica, e sugerem a presença do efeito de interferência semântica nos bilíngues testados. Além disso, a ausência de um efeito da certificação PROLIBRAS na tarefa é analisada como uma indicação da necessidade de se investigar mais profundamente formas alternativas de avaliar a experiência dos intérpretes. / This dissertation has as its general objective to study the semantic interference effect in bimodal bilingual lexical access in a group of hearing adults bimodal bilinguals who work as sign language interpreter LIBRAS – Portuguese through a Translation Recognition Task. Four specific objectives guided this research: (a) to verify the semantic interference effect during bilingual bimodal lexical access; (b) to assess the role of the PROLIBRAS interpreting proficiency certification on the performance of the participants during the experimental task; (c) to assess the role of the translation experience, considering the number of hours of work per week, on the performance of the participants during the Translation Recognition Task; and (d) to assess the role of the experience as interpreters, considering the number of years of work experience, seen through the Translation Recognition Task. In order to accomplish such goals two instruments were used: a Self-Proficiency and Language History Questionnaire and a Translation Recognition Task developed for this study, in which participants were asked to observe sequences of signs in video followed by a word in Portuguese and answer whether the word corresponded as the correct translation of the sign. The word in Portuguese could fit in one of the following experimental conditions: correct translation, semantic related incorrect translation, not semantic related incorrect translation. The hypotheses were that (a) the participants would be faster at identifying items on the correct translation condition than the other two conditions; (b) interpreters would have a smaller error rate at identifying items on the correct translation condition than the other two conditions, showing even more error rate on the semantic related incorrect translation condition; (c) the participants that would declare to own a LIBRAS proficiency certificate would show a faster performance and smaller error rate; and finally, (e) that participants that would declared to have more year of experience as interpreters would be faster and would have a smaller error rate on the task. The results confirmed the semantic interference effect in bimodal bilinguals, although the analyses of the role of the language experience showed no difference of results among those who own a PROLIBRAS certificate and those who do not. The same was seen among those work more or less years as interpreters. The analyses of the results of the experience in terms of hours per week, however, showed that the comparison between the group who work twenty hours with the group who work forty hours indicated that the ones who work fewer hours answered faster to the items in all the task conditions. The results are interpreted using as base the theories about language knowledge representation, lexical access and semantic interference. Besides, the lack of effect on the PROLIBRAS certificate on the task is analyzed as an indication of the need to study deeply alternative ways to assess the experience of the interpreters.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanics with which older adults activate and access different subdomains of their mental lexicons during word retrieval for picture naming. Method: Data were analyzed for 12 aging, native English speakers who performed a picture-word priming task. The auditory probe words were presented in the following conditions in relation to the picture stimuli: Identically related, strongly semantically related, weakly semantically related, strongly phonologically related, weakly phonologically related, semantically related to the strong phonological relative of the target picture label, or phonologically-related to the strong semantic relative of the target picture label. Event related potentials were used to measure picture-word priming effects. Results: Three main results were observed. First, our healthy aging adult participants evidenced strong activation of whole-word phonological representations as well as rhyme representations of target picture labels, but weakened activation of initial phoneme information. Second, they processed semantic information robustly. Finally, our participants appeared to experience phonological competition when accessing target picture labels. Conclusion: Results from this study suggest that healthy aging adults maintain efficient access to whole-word phonological representations, rhyme representations, and conceptual-semantic representations of target picture labels. However, in line with previously-reported findings, they do seem to evidence limited activation of initial phonological information on the path to picture naming.

Diese Dissertation untersucht einige ungeklärten Aspekte der Sprachproduktion. Das erste Ziel war es zu klären, wie Komposita (z.B. Goldfisch) auf der lexikalisch-syntaktischen Ebene unseres Sprachproduktionssystems repräsentiert sind. Gibt es dort einen einzelnen lexikalischen Eintrag für das gesamte Kompositum (GOLDFISCH) oder mehrere Einträge für jedes seiner Konstituenten (GOLD und FISCH), welche beim Sprechen zusammengesetzt werden? Zur Beantwortung dieser Frage wurde die sogenannte kumulative semantische Interferenz (KSI) verwendet. Dieser semantische Kontexteffekt beschreibt die Beobachtung, dass die Benennlatenzen von Sprechern systematisch länger werden, wenn diese eine Reihe von semantisch verwandten Bildern benennen. Obwohl KSI bereits viel als Instrument in der Sprachproduktionsforschung genutzt wird, sind einige Fragen rund um den Effekt selbst noch offen. Das zweite Ziel dieser Dissertation war es daher einige dieser Fragen mit Hilfe von behavioralen und elektrophysiologischen Maßen zu beantworten, um so unser Verständnis von KSI zu erweitern. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass KSI ihren Ursprung auf der konzeptuellen Ebene des Sprachproduktionssystems hat und dass sie nicht von der morphologischen Komplexität der verwendeten Begriffe moduliert wird, aber davon, wie häufig diese benannt werden. Diese Erkenntnisse ermöglichen es in der Zukunft zielgenauere Vorhersagen zu machen, wenn KSI als Forschungsinstrument verwendet wird. Die Ergebnisse zeigen zudem, dass die Konstituenten von Komposita während deren Produktion aktiviert werden. Dies belegt, dass Komposita in einer komplexen Struktur repräsentiert sind, die aus einem Eintrag für das ganze Kompositum und zusätzlichen Einträgen für die Konstituenten besteht. Somit zeigen diese Ergebnisse, dass die Morphologie bereits die Repräsentationen auf der lexikalisch-syntaktischen Ebene beeinflusst und erweitern somit unser Wissen über den Aufbau unseres Sprachproduktionssystems. / This dissertation addresses unresolved issues concerning speech production processes and the cognitive architecture of our speech production system. The first aim was to answer the question how compounds (e.g., goldfish) are represented on the lexical-syntactic level of our speech production system. Is there a single entry for the whole compound (GOLDFISH) or multiple ones for each of its constituents (GOLD and FISH), which are assembled for each use? To investigate this question, we used the cumulative semantic interference (CSI) effect. This semantic context effect describes the observation that speakers’ naming latencies systematically increase when naming a sequence of semantically related pictures. Although CSI has been extensively used as a tool in language production research, several aspects of it are not fully understood. Thus, the second aim of this dissertation was to close some of these knowledge gaps and gain a more comprehensive understanding of CSI. In three studies, we first investigated the CSI effect, before using it as a tool to study the lexical representation of compounds. Behavioural and electrophysiological data from the first two studies point to a purely conceptual origin of CSI. Furthermore, they revealed that CSI is not influenced by the items’ morphological complexity but affected by item repetition. These findings advance our understanding of CSI and thus allow us to make more informed predictions when using CSI as a research tool. The last study showed that the compounds’ constituents are activated during compound production, which provides evidence for a complex lexical-syntactic representation of compounds, consisting of one entry for the holistic compound and additional entries for each of its constituents. This dissertation thus reveals that the morphological complexity of compounds affects the lexical-syntactic level during speech production and thus advances our understanding of the architecture of our speech production system.

Die Auswahl eines passenden Wortes aus semantisch verbundenen Wettbewerbern ist eine wesentliche Funktion der Sprachproduktion. Neuere strittige Befunde scheinen traditionellen lexikalischen Selektionsmodellen zu widersprechen. Der swinging lexical network (SLN) Ansatz offeriert eine kompetitiven Bezugsrahmen, der spezifische Voraussetzungen formuliert, unter denen semantische Erleichterungs- als auch Interferenzeffekte in Bildbenennungsparadigmen beobachtet werden können. Diese spezifischen Voraussetzungen betreffen a) die Manipulation eines Trade-offs zwischen konzeptueller Erleichterung und lexikalischer Interferenz, b) das Ausmaß an lexikalischer Kohortenaktivierung und c) die flexible Anpassungsfähigkeit des Sprachproduktionssystems. Die Trade-off-Annahme wurde durch Einflüsse von Assoziationen auf die Benennungslatenz untersucht (Studie 1), wenn Stimuli im kontinuierlichen Benennungsparadigma in einer scheinbar zufälligen Reihenfolge benannt werden. Information über den Einfluss lexikalischer Kohortenaktivierung auf die Wortproduktion wurde durch Manipulation semantischer Distanz und durch Kombination des kontinuierlichen Benennungsparadigmas mit ereignis-korrelierten Potentialen (EKPs) gewonnen (Studie 2). Zur Überprüfung der Flexibilitätsannahme werden Benennungslatenzen von Homophonen mittels Bild-Wort-Interferenzparadigma untersucht, nachdem Versuchspersonen wiederholt linguistische Mehrdeutigkeit verarbeiten haben (Studie 3). Die Ergebnisse zeigen semantische Interferenzeffekte für assoziativ und für eng kategorial verbundene Stimuli im kontinuierlichen Benennungsparadigma (Studie 1 & 2) und Erleichterungseffekte für Homophone im PWI, nachdem das kognitive System sich auf Mehrdeutigkeit adaptiert hatte (Studie 3). Eng kategorial verbundene Stimuli modulierten EKP-Komponenten in der P1, zwischen 250 und 400 ms und im N400-Zeitfenster, welche mit Wortproduktions-prozessen in Verbindung gebracht werden. / The selection of an appropriate word from other meaning-related competitors is a main function of language production. Recent inconclusive findings have casted doubt about traditional lexical selection accounts. The swinging lexical network (SLN) account presents a competitive framework that formulates specific conditions under which semantic facilitation or interference effects can be observed in picture naming paradigms. These specific conditions concern a) the manipulation of the trade-off between conceptual facilitation and lexical interference, b) the extent of lexical cohort activation and c) the flexible nature of the language production system. The trade-off assumption was assessed by investigating the impact of associations on naming latencies in the continuous naming paradigm in which semantically related items are named within a seemingly random sequence (Study 1). Information for the understanding of lexical cohort activation on word production was obtained by manipulating semantic distance in the continuous naming paradigm combined with event-related potentials (ERP; Study 2). Aiming at testing the flexibility assumption, effects of unrelated meaning alternatives of homophones in a picture-word interference (PWI) paradigm were investigated, after participants repeatedly processed linguistic ambiguities (Study 3). Results show semantic interference for associates and for closely related category co-ordinates in the continuous naming paradigm (Study 1 & 2), and facilitation effects for homophone names in the PWI after the cognitive system adapted to the processing of linguistic ambiguities (Study 3). Closely related stimuli modulated ERPs in the P1, between 250 and 400 ms, and in the N400 time window, which are known to be associated with single word naming processes. These results support the SLN model and enhance the understanding of semantic and cognitive factors that shape the microstructure of language production.