Dekerle, M. 1 , Boulenger, V. 2 & Meunier, F. 1
1 Centre de Recherche en Neuroscience de Lyon INSERM U1028 / CNRS UMR5292
2 Laboratoire Dynamique Du Langage CNRS UMR 5596
Our studies addressed the issue of auditory masked semantic priming using cocktail party situations. Three behavioral studies showed that semantic relatedness between a multi-talker babble and a target elicited semantic priming. This effect however only appeared when the number of background voices sharing semantic features with the target was higher than the number of voices which did not. In an EEG study, we investigated to what extent the babble is semantically processed by testing the hypothesis that brain indexes of babble semantic processing could be observed even when no priming effect emerged behaviorally. Participants repeated target words embedded in multi-talker babble in which the ratio of semantically related/unrelated voices was 1/2 (no behavioral priming effect) or 2/1. Importantly, within one of the related voices, a semantically unrelated word (deviant) could be inserted. Our prediction was that semantic processing of the babble should be reflected by larger N400 effect for deviants than for non-deviants. Results showed a larger N400 for both unrelated targets and deviants compared to related targets and non-deviants respectively. There was no effect of the number of related voices. Overall these findings suggest that semantic features can be processed in low-intelligibility listening conditions, however intelligibility is necessary.