ERP evidence thus suggests that the word recognition process is extended over time, with critical aspects only beginning to take place around 200 ms after word onset; N400 data have mapped out a very similar time course for face recognition (reviewed by Schweinberger & Burton 2003). Although this accords with more general views of the time course of processing in the brain, as well as with what is known about the nature and neural source of components preceding the N400, it has sparked some controversy. In particular, the time course of processing suggested by ERPs is striking given that eye movements during natural reading tend to be fast and that some models of eye movement control assume that word recognition drives (and hence precedes) saccades (Reichle et al 2003). Thus, N400 data place important constraints on our understanding of when and how words are recognized and linked to meaning, with implications not only for psycholinguistic theories but also for, e.g., models of eye movement control.
