Word versus task representation in neural networks
Thomas R. Elbert, Christian Dobell, Alessandro Angrilli, Luciano Stegagno, Brigitte S. Rockstroh · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · 1999
The Hebbian view of word representation is challenged by findings of task (level of processing)-dependent, event-related potential patterns that do not support the notion of a fixed set of neurons representing a given word. With cross-language phonological reliability encoding more asymmetrical left hemisphere activity is evoked than with word comprehension. This suggests a dynamical view of the brain as a self-organizing, connectivity-adjusting system.