Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 14, 2026
08:08
Comparing the Frequency Effect Between the Lexical Decision and Naming Tasks in Chinese
Published on: April 1, 2016
9.8K
English word frequency and recognition in bilinguals: Inter-corpus comparison and error analysis
1a Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders , Long Island University , Brooklyn Campus, New York , USA.
International Journal of Audiology
|April 17, 2015
Summary
Word frequency significantly impacts English word recognition for bilinguals, especially those with later acquisition and less English exposure. Newer data sources better predict recognition errors in this population.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Cognitive Psychology
- Lexical Processing
Background:
- Bilinguals' performance on clinical English word recognition tests can be influenced by lexical factors.
- Word frequency is a key lexical variable impacting language processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate word-frequency effects on bilinguals' performance in a clinical English word recognition test.
- To compare the predictive power of different corpora for word frequency in this context.
Main Methods:
- Frequency counts for 200 words were sourced from the Hoosier Mental Lexicon (HML) and three contemporary corpora (American National Corpora, HAL, SUBTLEX(US)).
- Correlation analysis examined the relationship between word frequency and error rates in 10 monolinguals and 30 bilinguals.
- Bilingual participants were subgrouped by age of English acquisition and length of English education/work.
Main Results:
- Word frequency significantly influenced word recognition, particularly for bilinguals with late English acquisition and limited exposure.
- Bilinguals often substituted target words with higher-frequency words during errors.
- Contemporary corpora demonstrated superior prediction of error rates compared to the HML.
Conclusions:
- Frequency data from modern corpora effectively predict bilinguals' recognition of English monosyllabic words.
- Word frequency aids in explaining common word substitutions for misrecognized targets.
- Word-frequency effects are most pronounced in foreign-born and educated bilinguals.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Language and Cognition
1000
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.
1000
01:28Lateralization
1.4K
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.
1.4K
01:24Components of Language
961
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.
961
01:10Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon
688
The tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon is a cognitive experience characterized by a temporary inability to retrieve specific information from memory despite having a strong feeling of knowing the information. Although individuals cannot access the target word or detail, they frequently recall related elements, such as its initial letter, syllable count, or context. This partial retrieval often causes frustration, as one might recognize a familiar face or know that a name starts with a specific...
688
01:22Language Development
1.1K
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...
1.1K
01:08Determination of Expected Frequency
2.8K
Suppose one wants to test independence between the two variables of a contingency table. The values in the table constitute the observed frequencies of the dataset. But how does one determine the expected frequency of the dataset? One of the important assumptions is that the two variables are independent, which means the variables do not influence each other. For independent variables, the statistical probability of any event involving both variables is calculated by multiplying the individual...
2.8K