Abstract: The semantic satiation effect refers to the subjective and temporary loss of the meaning to repeatedly perceived or produced word. Using a modified speeded category matching paradigm, the present study investigated the modulatory effect of words’ emotional valence on the time course of semantic satiation. With 24 adult participants, Experiment 1 found that, reaction times in the repeated condition were significantly shorter than those in the nonrepeated condition during the first time period (trials 2-4), whereas no significant difference was found during the second time period (trials 5-7) and the third time period (trials 8-10). These results demonstrated that, the above-mentioned paradigm could be used to successfully induce the semantic satiation effect. In Experiment 2, seventy-two adult participants were randomly assigned to three groups (24 per group) who were administered the paradigm using either positive or neutral or negative words. Results showed that, the semantic satiation effect appeared in later trials (trials 8-10) for positive words, and in middle trials (trials 5-7) for neutral words; while no significant semantic satiation effect was found for negative words. Results are discussed in terms of the depth of processing and evolutionary significance of emotional valence of stimuli (including words). Our findings suggest that the emotional valence of the materials should be considered in future studies of the semantic satiation effect.

Key words: semantic satiation, emotional valence, time course, speeded category matching, modulation

摘要： 词汇的语义饱和效应是指，多次重复感知或产生一个词汇时，主观上对该词汇的意义的暂时缺失现象。本研究通过两个实验考察了词汇的情绪效价对语义饱和进程的影响。 实验1旨在探讨快速类别匹配范式是否可以用来考察语义饱和效应。本实验采用了与Tian和Huber（2010）实验中类似的材料，但排除了同一对刺激中正性和负性范例混合的情景。材料包括11个类别，每一类选择20个该类别的具体范例（如“蔬菜”类别下包括“土豆”、“茄子”等），所有范例词汇都是双字词。每个被试完成11个任务组块。在每个组块中，有20个试次，其中10个试次是重复类别条件，另10个试次是非重复类别条件。一半的范例对来自同一类别（即匹配试次），另一半由不同类别（即非匹配试次）的范例组成。24名大学生观看启动范例词（如“土豆”）和目标范例词（如“茄子”），判断启动词和目标词是否来自同一个类别。结果显示，在第一个时间片段内（第2-4个试次），重复条件的反应时显著快于非重复条件，而在第二段（第5-7个试次）和第三段（第8-10个试次）两者没有显著差异。这表明，在控制词汇情绪效价的情况下，快速类别匹配范式可以成功引起语义饱和效应。 基于此，实验2采用快速类别匹配范式考察情绪效价对词汇语义启动效应进程的影响。72名被试被随机分为三组，分别使用正性、中性和负性词汇材料。对于每一种情绪效价，均选择了11个类别，如正性类别“花”和负性类别“疾病”。每一类别选择了20个双字词范例词汇。每一类别的实验设计和过程同实验1。结果表明，积极词的语义饱和效应出现在较晚试次中（第8-10个试次），中性词的语义饱和效应出现在中间试次中（第5-7个试次），而消极词则没有出现显著的语义饱和效应。该结果表明，词汇的情绪效价能调节语义饱和的时间进程。这提示，未来的语义饱和效应研究应该考虑实验材料的情绪效价。

关键词: 语义饱和, 情绪价, 时间进程, 快速类别匹配, 调节