The distractor frequency effect in picture-word interference: Evidence for response exclusion

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Psycholinguistics
• Neuroscience

Background:

• The distractor frequency effect in picture naming, where low-frequency words cause more interference than high-frequency words, has been previously observed.
• The response exclusion hypothesis posits this effect originates at a postlexical stage, involving a response buffer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the response exclusion hypothesis regarding the distractor frequency effect in picture naming.
• To determine if the distractor frequency effect is contingent on the distractor word entering a response buffer.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments were conducted involving subjects naming pictures with superimposed low- or high-frequency distractor words.
• Experiment 2 involved masking the distractor word.
• Experiment 3 involved presenting the distractor at various time points before the target picture onset.

Main Results:

• The distractor frequency effect was replicated, confirming low-frequency words cause more interference.
• The effect was only present when distractors were visible and presented in close temporal proximity to the target picture.
• Results supported the prediction that the effect depends on the distractor entering the response buffer.

Conclusions:

• The findings support the response exclusion hypothesis, indicating the distractor frequency effect is a postlexical phenomenon.
• The results have implications for understanding lexical access models and the methodologies used to study them.