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A dual-task investigation of automaticity in visual word processing.
R S McCann1, R W Remington, M Van Selst
1National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA. rmccann@mail.arc.nasa.gov
Summary
This study found that word processing, including word frequency effects, is not fully automatic. When attention is divided, frequency-sensitive lexical processing is postponed, challenging current activation models.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Linguistics
Background:
- Activation models propose automaticity in visual word processing.
- Frequency-sensitive lexical processing is thought to occur even when unattended.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that frequency-sensitive lexical processing occurs normally when unattended.
- To investigate the automaticity of word processing under conditions of divided attention.
Main Methods:
- Participants completed a speeded pitch discrimination task followed by lexical decisions or word naming.
- Stimulus onset asynchrony between tasks was manipulated to vary attentional demands.
Main Results:
- Lexical decision and naming latencies significantly increased as the time between tasks decreased.
- Word-frequency effects remained additive with increased task interference, indicating postponement of frequency-sensitive processing.
Conclusions:
- Word processing, specifically frequency-sensitive lexical processing, is not as automatic as suggested by activation models.
- Attention is crucial for lexical processing, and it can be postponed or blocked when cognitive resources are divided.