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Neural correlates of word recognition during naturalistic reading in adolescents: the role of individual reading skills and working memory
Poster Session D, Thursday, October 1, 4:30 - 6:30 pm, Wangari Maathai
Marina Norkina1,2, Elena Semenova3, Alexandra Berlin Khenis4, Anna Rebreikina1,5; 1Sirius University of Science and Technology, 2Saint Petersburg State University, 3McGill University, 4Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, 5Istitute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology
Reading is the primary source for knowledge acquisition. This process critically relies on working memory, crucial for text comprehension (Peng et al., 2018). Individual differences in working memory often stem from the ability to recognise stored information and reconstruct its context (Pelegrina et al., 2023). Yet the neural basis of this recognition ability remains poorly understood (Frey et al., 2018). This gap is particularly critical during adolescence – a period of rapid neurocognitive development when reading becomes the primary tool for independent learning. Recognition memory comprises two processes: familiarity (a context-free feeling of prior encounter) and recollection (conscious retrieval of contextual details) (Yonelinas, 2002). These processes have distinct electrophysiological correlates: familiarity is indexed by the N400, while recollection is indexed by the late positive complex (Mecklinger & Jäger, 2009; Rugg et al., 2000). However, most recognition memory studies rely on word lists rather than naturalistic reading. The present study investigated how familiarity and recollection are indexed by N400 and P600 in adolescents performing a word recognition task after naturalistic reading. We examined how working memory (verbal/non-verbal), word decoding, vocabulary, reading fluency, and comprehension modulate ERP responses. We hypothesised that reading-related skills would correlate with the N400 effect (familiarity), while memory skills would correlate with the P600 effect (recollection). Age-related differences were expected for P600, given evidence that recollection improves with age (Billingsley et al., 2002; Ghetti & Angelini, 2008). The sample included 282 adolescents (M ± SD = 14.59 ± 2.12 years). All participants were monolingual native Russian speakers without reported reading difficulties. Participants read naturalistic texts and performed a word recognition task while EEG was recorded. N400 and P600 amplitudes were compared for old words (presented in the texts) versus new words (distractors). Linear mixed-effects models tested the main effects of condition and individual differences, as well as their interactions, on behavioural and neurophysiological outcomes. Participants were more accurate in recognising new words (87%) than old words (71%; β = 0.65, p < 0.001). Accuracy increased with age, and the condition effect decreased for older adolescents. Reaction times were faster for older participants (β = -0.03, p = 0.01) but did not differ between conditions. Both N400 and P600 amplitudes were significantly more positive for old compared to new words (N400: β = 0.33, p < 0.001; P600: β = 0.44, p < 0.001), indicating successful recognition. The N400 effect was modulated by age, while the P600 effect by task accuracy, with better performance associated with larger P600 amplitudes (β = 0.38, p = 0.014). Individual differences analysis revealed that vocabulary, reading fluency, word decoding, and verbal working memory significantly predicted recognition accuracy. These skills interacted with condition, suggesting that reading-related abilities shape recognition memory after naturalistic reading. This study bridges a critical gap by examining recognition memory after a naturalistic reading task and linking individual differences in cognitive and reading-related skills to specific neurophysiological markers. The findings contribute to our understanding of whether strong readers rely more on automatic familiarity or detailed recollection when learning from text.
Topic Areas: Language Development/Acquisition, Reading