Word frequency effects and inter-item associations : a study of the N400

Abstract: High frequency words are easier to recall compared to low frequency words in lists of only one frequency-range. This effect disappears when words of different frequencies are mixed in a list. Word frequency effects have often been assumed to rely on associations between words. The relationship between word frequency and associations was investigated by controlling associations using Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) in an experiment of free recall. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded and analysis focused on the N400 component. Behavioral results support the assumption that high frequency words have more associations than low frequency words while electrophysiological data do not. There was still a frequency effect in the N400 for lists of associated words. Results are not conclusive since the attempt to replicate word frequency effects in literature was unsuccessful and replication of results is necessary.