The development of automatic semantic and syntactic context effects in reading
Empirical evidence is presented which shows that readers can utilise semantic and syntactic context in order to aid word recognition, either through a conscious strategy-related process, or through an automatic spread'ng excitation process. The experimental results described show that, when average readers are used as subjects, semantic context effects may be evident in readers as young as 6 or 7 years of age, and in readers aged 11 years and over. There is little evidence for the use of context in 8 and 9 year old readers. This age-related pattern of results is consistent with the theory that readers at different developmental stages utilise semantic context primarily through different processes; young readers through a conscious process, and older, more skilled readers, through an automatic process. Readers between the ages of 8 and 10 years of age are at some transition stage between the two types of process, which results in the absence of context effects. Experimental evidence was also presented, showing that <i>syntactic</i> context can be utilised through either a conscious or an automatic process, but only in fluent adult readers. The automatic effects of syntactic context are similar to automatic
Hapeshi, K.
The development of automatic semantic and syntactic context effects in reading. Empirical evidence is presented which shows that readers can utilise semantic and syntactic context in order to aid word recognition, either through a conscious strategy-related process, or through an automatic spread'ng excitation process. The experimental results described show that, when average readers are used as subjects, semantic context effects may be evident in readers as young as 6 or 7 years of age, and in readers aged 11 years and over. There is little evidence for the use of context in 8 and 9 year old readers. This age-related pattern of results is consistent with the theory that readers at different developmental stages utilise semantic context primarily through different processes; young readers through a conscious process, and older, more skilled readers, through an automatic process. Readers between the ages of 8 and 10 years of age are at some transition stage between the two types of process, which results in the absence of context effects. Experimental evidence was also presented, showing that <i>syntactic</i> context can be utilised through either a conscious or an automatic process, but only in fluent adult readers. The automatic effects of syntactic context are similar to automatic
development automatic semantic_syntactic context effect read empirical_evidence present show reader utilise semantic_syntactic context order aid word_recognition either conscious strategy related process automatic spread process experimental describe show average reader used subject semantic context effect may evident reader young reader age over little_evidence use context reader age_related pattern consistent theory reader different developmental_stage utilise semantic context primarily different process young reader conscious process old skilled reader automatic process readers transition stage two_type process absence context effect experimental_evidence also_present show syntactic context utilise either conscious automatic process fluent adult reader automatic effect syntactic context similar automatic