Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
09:09
Foreign Accent and Forensic Speaker Identification in Voice Lineups: The Influence of Acoustic Features Based on Prosody
Published on: September 27, 2024
Syllabic effects in Italian lexical access
Lara Tagliapietra1, R Fanari, S Collina
1Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, P.O. Box 310, 6500 AH, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. tagliapi@psico.units.it
Journal of Psycholinguistic Research
|April 29, 2009
Summary
Syllabic structure in Italian spoken word recognition does not fully constrain lexical access early on. Initial word candidates can include those not matching the syllable structure, challenging early processing hypotheses.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Phonology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Spoken word recognition models propose various constraints on lexical access.
- Syllabic structure is a key phonological unit potentially influencing word processing.
- Previous research on Italian has explored stressed syllable processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether syllabic structure constrains lexical access in Italian.
- To determine the timing and scope of syllabic information's influence during spoken word recognition.
Main Methods:
- Two cross-modal priming experiments were conducted.
- Participants processed spoken Italian words and responded to visual targets.
- Priming effects were analyzed to infer lexical access mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Experiment 1 showed syllabic information restricts candidates to structurally consistent words.
- Experiment 2 revealed lexical access occurs rapidly, not delayed until the first syllable matches.
- The initial set of activated words included candidates with non-matching syllabic structures.
Conclusions:
- Syllabic structure does not exclusively constrain early lexical access in Italian.
- Findings challenge the hypothesis that syllables are the primary units for lexical access in Romance languages.
- The role of syllabic information in spoken word recognition requires a more nuanced understanding.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Components of Language
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs. “eh”). Phonemes combine to...
01:27Language and Cognition
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
01:22Language Development
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
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...
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...
01:28Lateralization
Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
01:11The Auditory Ossicles
The auditory ossicles of the middle ear transmit sounds from the air as vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea. The auditory ossicles consist of two malleus (hammer) bones, two incus (anvil) bones, and two stapes (stirrups), one on each side. These bones develop during the fetal stage and are the ones to ossify first. They are fully mature at birth and do not grow afterward.
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...