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Related Experiment Videos

When do nonwords activate semantics? Implications for models of visual word recognition

D C Bourassa1, D Besner

  • 1Psychology Department, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. bourassa@mcmail.cis.mcmaster.ca

Memory & Cognition
|March 31, 1998
PubMed
Summary
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Nonwords can activate word meanings when briefly presented, influencing reaction times. This semantic activation disappears with longer prime durations, suggesting a limit on nonword processing.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Experimental Psychology

Background:

  • Understanding how the human brain processes language is crucial.
  • Investigating the activation of semantic information by nonwords provides insights into lexical access.
  • Previous research has explored priming effects, but the role of nonwords remains an area of interest.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the conditions under which nonwords activate semantic representations.
  • To determine the influence of prime duration and masking on nonword-induced semantic priming.
  • To test theoretical accounts of lexical processing, including parallel distributed processing (PDP) models.

Main Methods:

  • Three lexical decision experiments were conducted.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Participants performed lexical decisions on target words (e.g., CAT).
  • Target decisions were influenced by preceding semantically related nonword primes (e.g., DEG from DOG) under varying presentation durations and masking conditions.

    • Main Results:

    • Faster lexical decisions to targets were observed when preceded by briefly presented, masked, semantically related nonword primes.
    • This nonword priming effect was eliminated when the prime was presented for a longer duration.
    • The findings indicate that nonwords can indeed activate semantic information under specific experimental constraints.

    Conclusions:

    • Nonwords can semantically prime related words, but this effect is contingent on presentation parameters.
    • The results support theories suggesting that nonword priming depends on the inability to fully identify the prime.
    • This challenges simple inhibitory accounts and aligns with models of interactive lexical activation.