WIRDS, WERDS, WYRDZ : visual wordlikeness, lexical phonology, and models of visual word recognition
Nonwords such as 'brate' and pseudohomophones such as 'brane' are often used to explore the processes involved in decoding orthography, without the potential confound from semantics. Experiments using these usefuJ.items can provide evidence that sheds light on competing models ofvisual word recognition in general and the status oflexical phonology in particular. However, previous experiments have often used stimuli that look implausible as exemplars ofEnglish spelling, (e.g. phret, woez), and it is arguable that some ofthe current controversies in the area may be partly attributable to the use ofsuch stimuli. To investigate this notion, new items were constructed from real words on the grounds that they would contain a high proportion ofexisting orthotactic patterns. Ratings were gathered for the visual wordlikeness ofthe previous stimuli and these new items; the latter generated higher ratings than the former. Analysis ofthe ratings suggested that readers are sensitive to multiple sources oforthographic and graphophonemic information. In a series of naming and lexical decision experiments using the new stimuli, results showed that participants responded to visual wordlikeness across all tasks; for example,
Humphreys, Jane
WIRDS, WERDS, WYRDZ : visual wordlikeness, lexical phonology, and models of visual word recognition. Nonwords such as 'brate' and pseudohomophones such as 'brane' are often used to explore the processes involved in decoding orthography, without the potential confound from semantics. Experiments using these usefuJ.items can provide evidence that sheds light on competing models ofvisual word recognition in general and the status oflexical phonology in particular. However, previous experiments have often used stimuli that look implausible as exemplars ofEnglish spelling, (e.g. phret, woez), and it is arguable that some ofthe current controversies in the area may be partly attributable to the use ofsuch stimuli. To investigate this notion, new items were constructed from real words on the grounds that they would contain a high proportion ofexisting orthotactic patterns. Ratings were gathered for the visual wordlikeness ofthe previous stimuli and these new items; the latter generated higher ratings than the former. Analysis ofthe ratings suggested that readers are sensitive to multiple sources oforthographic and graphophonemic information. In a series of naming and lexical decision experiments using the new stimuli, results showed that participants responded to visual wordlikeness across all tasks; for example,
visual lexical phonology model visual_word recognition often use explore process_involve decode orthography without potential confound semantics use provide_evidence shed_light compete model word_recognition general status phonology particular however_previous often use stimulus look implausible exemplar spelling ofthe current controversy area may partly attributable use stimulus investigate notion new item construct real word ground would contain high_proportion pattern gather visual ofthe previous stimulus new item latter generate high rating former analysis ofthe rating suggest reader sensitive multiple source information series name lexical_decision use new stimulus show participant respond visual across task example