Reading aloud: evidence for contextual control over lexical activation.

Full Abstract

Can readers exert control (albeit unconsciously) over activation at particular loci in the reading system? The authors addressed this issue in 4 experiments in which participants read target words aloud and the factors of prime-target relation (semantic, repetition), context (related, unrelated), stimulus quality (bright, dim), and relatedness proportion (RP; high, low) were manipulated. In the high RP condition (RP = .5), an interaction between semantic context and stimulus quality was observed in which low stimulus quality slowed unrelated targets more than related ones, replicating previous work. In contrast, the low RP condition (RP = .25) yielded additive effects of semantic context and stimulus quality. However, when low RP was examined within the context of repetition priming, context and stimulus quality once again interacted. These results are discussed in the context of a widely endorsed framework with the addition of the central assumption that there is control over feedback between various levels. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Author information

Author/s: Ferguson, Roy (R); Robidoux, Serje (S); Besner, Derek (D);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. ra2fergu(-atsign-)watarts.uwaterloo.ca

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance (J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Apr; vol 35 (issue 2) : pp 499-507

Dates: Created 2009/03/31; Completed 2009/06/04;

PMID: 19331503, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 6/4/2009, IMS Date: 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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