Discrete repetition effects for visual words compared to faces and
animals, but no modulation by expectation: An event-related potential
study
Abstract
Repetition suppression (RS) refers to the reduction of neuronal
responses to repeated stimuli as compared to non-repeated stimuli. The
predictive coding account of RS proposes that its magnitude is modulated
by repetition probability (P(rep)) and that this modulation increases
with prior experience with the stimulus category. To test these
hypotheses, we examined the RS and it’s modulation by P(rep) for three
stimulus categories for which participants had different expertise,
using EEG methodology. Cantonese speakers watched paired stimuli (S1-S2)
of Asian faces, Chinese written words, and animal pictures with the S2
being the same or different from S1. Attributes of S1 (e.g., the sex of
the first face) served as a cue for repetition probability of S2.
Time-point by time-point Topographic Analyses of Variance (TANOVA) for
words showed significant repetition effects across several intervals
(92-140, 150-248, 260-488, and 502-560ms), and expectation effects
during 789-844ms. Significant repetition effects were also identified
for faces (207-358ms), and animals (324-486ms). Timing and topographies
suggest N250r effects for all three stimulus categories, but TANOVA
comparisons indicate earlier and distinct topographic distributions of
repetition effects for words versus faces (151-263, 277-445m) and
animals (148-242, 266-437ms), and for faces versus animals (209-316ms).
These results suggest that repetition effects differ between stimulus
categories, presumably depending on prior experience and stimulus
properties, such as spatial frequencies. Importantly, we did not find
any EEG evidence for effects of P(rep) potentially manipulating
expectancy. Such null findings of P(rep) effects do not support the
general predictive coding account of repetition suppression.