Adolescents Activate Phonology When Reading Familiar Words

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Linguistics

Background:

• The role of phonology in written word recognition is debated, with prelexical coding suggesting automatic phonological engagement and postlexical coding proposing no role in meaning activation.
• Understanding real-time phonological processing is crucial for theories of reading development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the real-time activation of phonology during familiar-word reading in adolescents.
• To differentiate between prelexical and postlexical coding theories using a novel visual world paradigm.

Main Methods:

• A written word version of the visual world paradigm (VWP) was developed and administered to 30 monolingual adolescents (aged 11-14).
• Participants identified target words presented visually, while eye movements were tracked to measure processing.
• Phonological and orthographic anadromes were used to isolate phonological activation.

Main Results:

• Phonological anadromes were activated early and robustly in adolescents, supporting the prelexical coding view.
• Phonological activation in adolescents was comparable to adults, though stronger in the adolescent group.
• Findings indicate consistent phonological activation across age groups for familiar words.

Conclusions:

• The study provides empirical support for the automatic and early activation of phonology in reading, aligning with the prelexical coding perspective.
• Consistent phonological engagement across age groups suggests a fundamental aspect of reading acquisition.
• Results support phonics-based reading instruction methods.