Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: June 25, 2019
Neighborhood effects in spelling in adults
Sébastien Roux1, Patrick Bonin
1Université Blaise Pascal, LAPSCO/CNRS UMR 6024, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Abstract:
The participants were asked to spell aloud words for which there were either many orthographically similar words (a dense neighborhood) or few orthographically similar words (a sparse neighborhood). Words with a dense neighborhood were spelled faster and more accurately than were words with a sparse neighborhood. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis of Rapp, Epstein, and Tainturier (2002), that the cognitive spelling system has an interactive architecture incorporating feedback between individual graphemes and orthographic lexeme representations.
Related Concept Videos
Language and Cognition
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Framing Effects
Correspondence Bias
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...

