Decision latencies for phonological and semantic information in object identification

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Psycholinguistics
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Existing literature supports a two-stage model of name-retrieval, where semantic processing precedes phonological access.
• Inconsistencies in prior on-line studies necessitate further investigation using off-line methods.
• The
• lemma

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide converging evidence for the two-stage model of name-retrieval.
• To examine age-related differences in semantic and phonological processing during object naming.
• To investigate the role of semantic and phonological cues in object naming tasks.

Main Methods:

• An off-line experiment involving speeded judgments was conducted.
• Participants (young and elderly adults) judged if a pictured object matched a category name, physical attribute name, or rhyming cue.
• Response latencies were measured for each judgment type.

Main Results:

• Young adults exhibited the fastest response times for category judgments and the slowest for rhyming judgments.
• Elderly adults showed equivalent response times for physical attribute and rhyming judgments.
• Findings suggest distinct processing pathways for semantic and phonological information in object naming.

Conclusions:

• The results support a two-stage model of name-retrieval, with semantic processing preceding phonological access.
• Age differences in processing speed and strategy were observed, particularly in the elderly group.
• The findings are discussed within the framework of "lemma" theory in object naming.