False memory for idiomatic expressions in younger and older adults: evidence for indirect activation of figurative meanings.

ABSTRACT: Idiomatic expressions can be interpreted literally or figuratively. These two meanings are often processed in parallel or very rapidly, as evidenced by online measures of idiomatic processing. Because in many cases the figurative meaning cannot be derived from the component lexical elements and because of the speed with which this meaning is accessed, it is assumed such meanings are stored in semantic memory. In the present study, we examined how literal equivalents and intact idiomatic expressions are stored in memory and whether episodic memory traces interact or interfere with semantic-level representations and vice versa. To examine age-invariance, younger and older adults studied lists of idioms and literal equivalents. On a recognition test, some studied items were presented in the a

SUBMITTER: Coane JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4104352 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature