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When orthographic neighbors fail to facilitate
Tracy Janack1, Matthew J Pastizzo, Laurie Beth Feldman
1University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
Brain and Language
|June 3, 2004
Summary
Forward masked word primes slowed decision times, while nonword primes caused mixed effects. Reader speed influenced whether neighbors facilitated or inhibited target recognition.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psycholinguistics
- Visual Word Recognition
Background:
- Investigating the impact of prime-target similarity on lexical decision-making.
- Examining the role of masked priming in understanding word processing.
- Exploring the influence of prime type (word vs. nonword) and position on reaction times.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine how forward masked primes, differing in initial/final positions, affect target decision latencies.
- To analyze the effects of forward masked nonword primes on lexical decisions.
- To assess if target neighborhood size moderates priming effects.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed a lexical decision task with forward masked primes.
- Primes varied in their similarity to target words (initial, final, or both positions).
- Nonword primes were used to investigate effects of sublexical similarity.
Main Results:
- Forward masked word primes consistently slowed target decision latencies.
- Nonword primes showed non-significant facilitation for single-letter mismatches and significant inhibition for double-letter mismatches.
- Reader speed influenced outcomes: slower readers showed facilitation, faster readers showed inhibition.
Conclusions:
- Prime type and similarity significantly impact visual word recognition processes.
- Individual differences in reading speed modulate the effects of prime-target relationships.
- Findings contribute to models of lexical access and the role of orthographic neighbors.