Semantic saturation
Semantic saturation (also verbal saturation ) is a psychological phenomenon in which the multiple repetition of a word leads to a temporary change or loss of meaning . When fully saturated, the word is only perceived as a meaningless string of tones similar to unknown words from foreign languages.
The phenomenon can be explained by the fact that the verbal repetition stimulates a specific neural pattern in the cerebral cortex that represents the meaning of the word. The repeated excitation of the nerve cells accordingly leads to neuronal inhibition , whereby the intensity of each renewed excitation is weakened.
Individual evidence
- ^ Leon Jakobovits James: Effects of repeated stimulation on cognitive aspects of behavior ( MS Word ; 369 kB) April 1962. Retrieved September 8, 2012.