Publications

In revision

Gürel. S., Lopopolo, A., & Rabovsky, M. (in revision). On whether the relationship between large language models and brain activity is language-specific and based on linguistic information. Manuscript in revision for Cognitive Science. 

Arkhipova, Y., Lopopolo, A., Vasishth, S., & Rabovsky, M. (in revision). When Meaning Matters Most: Rethinking Cloze Probability in N400 Research. Manuscript in revision for Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience. Link to bioRxiv.

Hodapp, A., Lindborg, A., & Rabovsky, M. (in revision). Bayesian semantic surprise based on different types of regularities predicts the N400 and P600 brain signals. Manuscript in revision for NeuroImage.  Link to bioRxiv.

Rabovsky, M., Lopopolo, A., & Schad, D.J. (in revision). Interindividual differences in predicting words versus sentence meaning: Explaining N400 amplitudes using large-scale neural network models. Manuscript in revision for Cognition.

2026/ in press

Stone, K., Holle, H., & Rabovsky, M. (2026). Time resolves syntactic-semantic conflict in temporary semantic illusions: Evidence from role reversal sentences. Cognition, 275, 106625. Link to OSF.

Contier, F., Wartenburger, I., Weymar, M., & Rabovsky, M. (2026). No Effect of Continuous Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on the P3, the P600, or Physiological Markers of Noradrenergic Activity in an Oddball and Sentence Comprehension Task. Psychophysiology, 63(2), e70258.

Bhandari, D., Lopopolo, A., Rabovsky, M., & Reich, S. (2026). An ensemble transform approach to uncertainty in the Sentence Gestalt model of language comprehension. Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 130, 103005. Link to arXiv.

2025

Stone, K., & Rabovsky, M. (2025). The role of syntactic and semantic cues in preventing temporary illusions of plausibility. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 1-27.

Contier, F., Höger, M., & Rabovsky, M. (2025). The P600 during sentence reading predicts behavioral and neural markers of recognition memory. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 1-20.

Rabovsky, M. (2025). The N400 and P600 ERP components as error-based learning signals driving implicit and explicit memory formation during language processing. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 83, 195-235.

2024

Contier, F., Wartenburger, I., Weymar, M., & Rabovsky, M. (2024). Are the P600 and P3 ERP components linked to the task‐evoked pupillary response as a correlate of norepinephrine activity?. Psychophysiology, 61(7), e14565. Link.

Hodapp, A., & Rabovsky, M. (2024). Error-based implicit learning in language: the effect of sentence context and constraint in a repetition paradigm. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 36(6), 1048-1070. Link to bioRxiv.

Lopopolo, A., Fedorenko, E., Levy, R., & Rabovsky, M. (2024). Cognitive computational neuroscience of language: Using computational models to investigate language processing in the brain. Neurobiology of Language. Link.

Lopopolo, A. & Rabovsky, M. (2024). Tracking lexical and semantic prediction error underlying the N400 using artificial neural network models of sentence processing. Neurobiology of Language. Link.

Eiserbeck, A., Enge, A., Rabovsky, M., & Abdel Rahman, R. (2024). Distrust Before First Sight: Knowledge- and Appearance-Based Effects of Trustworthiness on the Visual Consciousness of Faces. Consciousness and Cognition, 117, 103629. Link to bioRxiv.

2023

Stone, K., Khaleghi, N., & Rabovsky, M. (2023). The N400 is elicited by meaning changes but not synonym substitutions: Evidence from Persian phrasal verbs. Cognitive Science, 47(12), e13394. Link to preprint on OSF.

Arana, S., Hagoort, P., Schoffelen, J.-M.*, & Rabovsky, M.* (2023). Perceived similarity as a window into representations of integrated sentence meaning. Behavior Research Methods.

Lindborg, A.*, Musiolek, L.*, Ostwald, D., & Rabovsky, M. (2023). Semantic surprise predicts the N400 brain potential. NeuroImage: Reports, 3(1), 100161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynirp.2023.100161

Rabovsky, M. (2023). Neural underpinnings of semantic processing. In Language Electrified: Principles, Methods, and Future Perspectives of Investigation, edited by M. Grimaldi, E. Brattico, & Y. Shtyrov, 527-550. New York: Springer Nature.

Schad, D.J. & Rabovsky, M. (2023). Social-distancing induced deceleration can enhance subjective well-being. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12414

Liu, S., Rabovsky, M., & Schad, D.J. (2023). Spontaneous mind wandering impairs model based decision making. PLOS ONE, 18(1): e0279532. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279532

2022

Contier, F., Weymar, M., Wartenburger, I., & Rabovsky, M. (2022). Sustained attention as measured by RT variability is a strong modulator for the P600, but not the N400. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 34(12), 2297-2310. Link to preprint.

Eiserbeck, A., Enge, A., Rabovsky, M., & Abdel Rahman, R. (2022). Electrophysiological Chronometry of Graded Consciousness during the Attentional Blink. Cerebral Cortex, 32(6), 1244-1259. Link.

2021

Hodapp, A. & Rabovsky, M. ( 2021). The N400 ERP component reflects an error-based implicit learning signal during language comprehension. European Journal of Neuroscience, 54(9), 7125-7140. Link.

Lopopolo, A. & Rabovsky, M. (2021). Predicting the N400 ERP component using the Sentence Gestalt model trained on a large scale corpus. Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/49x8z7bm

Lindborg, A. & Rabovsky, M. (2021). Meaning in brains and machines: Internal activation update in large scale language model partially reflects the N400 brain potential. Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6d71c9sj

Rabovsky, M., Schad, D.J., & Abdel Rahman, R. (2021). Semantic richness and density effects on language production: Electrophysiological and behavioral evidence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 47(3), 508-517. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000940 Preprint: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/509000v2

2020

Rabovsky, M. (2020). Change in a probabilistic representation of meaning can account for N400 effects on articles: A neural network model. Neuropsychologia, 143, 107466.

Rabovsky, M., & McClelland, J. L. (2020). Quasi-compositional mapping from form to meaning: a neural-network based approach to capturing neural responses during language comprehension. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 375: 20190313.

Schad, D.J., Rapp, M.A., Garbusow, M., Nebe, S., Sebold, M., Obst, E., Sommer, C., Deserno, L., Rabovsky, M., Friedel, E., Romanczuk-Seiferth, N., Wittchen, H.-U., Zimmermann, U.S., Walter, H., Sterzer, P., Smolka, M.N., Schlagenhauf, F., Heinz, A., Dayan, P., & Huys, Q.J.M. (2020). Dissociating neural learning signals in human sign- and goal-trackers. Nature Human Behavior, doi: 10.1038/s41562-019-0765-5

2019

Weller, P., Rabovsky, M., & Abdel Rahman, R. (2019). Semantic knowledge promotes conscious awareness of visual objects. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 31, 1216-1226.

Rabovsky, M., Conrad, M., Álvarez, C.J., Paschke-Goldt, J., & Sommer, W. (2019). Attentional modulation of orthographic neighborhood effects during reading: Evidence from event-related brain potentials in a psychological refractory period paradigm. PLOS ONE, 14(1): e0199084. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199084

2018

Rabovsky, M., Hansen, S.S., & McClelland, J.L. (2018). Modelling the N400 brain potential as change in a probabilistic representation of meaning. Nature Human Behaviour, 2, 693-705.

Baum, J.A.*, Rabovsky, M.*, Rose, S.B., & Abdel Rahman, R. (2018). Clear judgments based on unclear evidence: Person evaluation is strongly influenced by untrustworthy gossip. Emotion. doi: 10.1037/emo0000545

2016

Rabovsky, M., Schad, D.J., & Abdel Rahman, R. (2016). Language production is facilitated by semantic richness, but inhibited by semantic density: Evidence from picture naming. Cognition, 146, 240-244.

Rabovsky, M., Stein, T., & Abdel Rahman, R. (2016). Access to awareness for faces during continuous flash suppression is not modulated by affective knowledge. PLOS ONE, 11(4):e0150931.

Rabovsky, M., Hansen, S.S., & McClelland, J.L. (2016). N400 amplitudes reflect change in a probabilistic representation of meaning: Evidence from a connectionist model. Proceedings of the 38th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, pp 2045-2050. Cognitive Science Society: Austin: TX.

2014

Rabovsky, M. & McRae, K. (2014). Simulating the N400 ERP component as semantic network error: Insights from a feature-based connectionist attractor model of word meaning. Cognition, 132(1), 68-89.

Suess, F., Rabovsky, M., & Abdel Rahman, R. (2014). Perceiving emotions in neutral faces: expression processing is biased by affective person knowledge. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 1-6.

2012

Rabovsky, M., Sommer, W. & Abdel Rahman, R. (2012). Implicit word learning benefits from semantic richness: Electrophysiological and behavioral evidence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 38(4), 1076-1083.

Rabovsky, M., Sommer, W. & Abdel Rahman, R. (2012). Depth of conceptual knowledge modulates visual processes during word reading. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 24(4), 990-1005.

Rabovsky, M., Sommer, W. & Abdel Rahman, R. (2012). Time course of semantic richness effects in visual word recognition. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6:11.

2008

Rabovsky, M., Álvarez, C. J., Hohlfeld, A. & Sommer, W. (2008). Is lexical access autonomous? Evidence from combining overlapping tasks with recording event-related brain potentials. Brain Research, 1222, 156-165.