Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: June 25, 2019
Dissociating word frequency and age of acquisition: The Klein effect revived (and reversed)
Stephen A Dewhurst1, Christopher Barry
1Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom. s.a.dewhurst@lancaster.ac.uk
Abstract:
The Klein effect (G. S. Klein, 1964) refers to the finding that high-frequency words produce greater interference in a color-naming task than low-frequency words. The present study used the Klein effect to investigate the relationship between frequency and age of acquisition (AoA) by measuring their influence on color naming. Two experiments showed reliable effects of frequency (though in the opposite direction to that reported by Klein) but no effects of AoA. Experiment 1 produced a dissociation between frequency and AoA when manipulated orthogonally. Experiment 2 produced the same dissociation using different stimuli. In contrast, both variables reliably influenced word naming. These findings are inconsistent with the view that frequency and AoA are 2 aspects of a single underlying mechanism.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Interference and Decay
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
Language Development
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Causes of Similarity-Dissimilarity Effect
Language and Cognition

