Abstract We harnessed the temporal sensitivity of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) alongside individual differences in Harry Potter (HP) knowledge to investigate the extent to which the availability and timing of information relevant for real-time written word processing are influenced by variation in domain knowledge. We manipulated meaningful (category, event) relationships between sentence fragments about HP stories and their sentence final words. During word-by-word reading, N400 amplitudes to (a) linguistically supported and (b) unsupported but meaningfully related, but not to (c) unsupported, unrelated sentence endings varied with HP domain knowledge. Single-trial analyses revealed that only the N400s to linguistically supported (but not to either type of unsupported) sentence-final words varied as a function of whether individuals knew (or could remember) the correct (supported) ending for each HP “fact.” We conclude that the quick availability of information relevant for word understanding in sentences is a function of individuals’ knowledge of both specific facts and the domain to which the facts belong. During written sentence processing, as domain knowledge increases, it is clearly evident that individuals can make use of the relevant knowledge systematically organized around themes, events, and categories in that domain, to the extent they have it.

中文翻译：

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抓住一个告密者：大脑电位揭示了阅读过程中（虚构的）世界知识的功能组织的可变性

摘要 我们利用事件相关脑电位 (ERP) 的时间敏感性以及哈利波特 (HP) 知识的个体差异来研究与实时书面文字处理相关的信息的可用性和时间受领域知识。我们操纵了有关 HP 故事的句子片段与其句子最后的话之间的有意义的（类别、事件）关系。在逐字阅读期间，N400 振幅为（a）语言支持和（b）不受支持但有意义的相关，但不是（c）不受支持、不相关的句子结尾随 HP 领域知识而变化。单次试验分析显示，只有 N400 到语言支持（但不是任何一种不受支持的）句末词随着个人是否知道（或能记住）每个 HP“事实”的正确（支持）结尾而变化。 ” 我们得出结论，与句子中单词理解相关的信息的快速可用性是个人对特定事实和事实所属领域的知识的函数。在书面句子处理过程中，随着领域知识的增加，很明显个人可以利用围绕该领域的主题、事件和类别系统地组织的相关知识，只要他们拥有这些知识。我们得出结论，与句子中单词理解相关的信息的快速可用性是个人对特定事实和事实所属领域的知识的函数。在书面句子处理过程中，随着领域知识的增加，很明显个人可以在他们拥有的范围内利用围绕该领域中的主题、事件和类别系统地组织的相关知识。我们得出结论，与句子中单词理解相关的信息的快速可用性是个人对特定事实和事实所属领域的知识的函数。在书面句子处理过程中，随着领域知识的增加，很明显个人可以利用围绕该领域的主题、事件和类别系统地组织的相关知识，只要他们拥有这些知识。