Word Recognition in Reading

Sara Sereno

...in collaboration with ...reflecting the input & hard work of

Graham Scott Christopher Hand

Dr. Sébastien Miellet

(ESRC 1+3) (ESRC 1+3)

Prof. Paddy O’Donnell

ESRC grant (Sereno & O’Donnell)

Measurement

EMs = best on-line measure of visual word recognition in the context of normal reading

ERPs = best real-time measure of brain activity associated with the perceptual and cognitive processing of words

(Sereno & Rayner, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 2003)

Word frequency & lexical access

The sore on Tam-Tam’s was swollen.(HF) back(LF) rump

• Word frequency effect (HF < LF)

Differential response to more common, high-frequency (HF) words vs. less common, low-frequency (LF) words.

E.g.,

Used as index of successful lexical access (word recognition).

• Best estimate of lexical access: 130-190 ms (N1).

(Sereno & Rayner, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 2003)

Sereno, Rayner, & Posner (NeuroReport, 1998).

Sereno , Brewer, O’Donnell (Psych Sci, 2003).

Factors affecting word recognition

• Words in isolation

• Words in context

• Words across languages

Factors affecting word recognition

• Words in isolation

• Words in context

• Words across languages

Word variables

Variable Example RT Effect

length duke - fisherman short < long

frequency student - steward HF < LF

spelling-sound fear - bear (HF) HF Reg = HF Exc regularity hint - pint (LF) LF Reg < LF Exc

AoA rabbit - pepper early < late

concreteness insect - heaven concrete < abstract

emotion love - hate - farm Pos ? Neg ? Neu

HAPPY

HALLOWEEN?

Also, in collaboration with Dr. Hartmut Leuthold

Emotion words

ArousalHigh Low

ValencePositive cash (peace)

Negative pain (bored)

Neutral (noisy) rock

N1 (unsigned) Voltage

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Low High

Frequency

Voltage (µV)

PositiveNegativeNeutral

Emotion X Frequency interaction

Emotion words in reading

Her husband became because he drank too much.arousedviolentdelayed

Positive vs. Negative vs. Neutral X Frequencytarget word effectspost-target effects

Factors affecting word recognition

• Words in isolation

• Words in context

• Words across languages

Frequency X PredictabilityLexical Decision vs. Fixation Time

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

Predictable Unpredictable

Context

Low-LD

High-LD

Low-reading

High-reading

Frequency X Contextual Predictability

Gillian was on the last mile of the women’s marathon. Shegrabbed a bottle of water from a spectator and drank it.

Although a rugby player, Clive struggled through the crowdat the bar carrying glasses of lager and bags of crisps.

HF-Pred

LF-Pred

Factors affecting word recognition

• Words in isolation

• Words in context

• Words across languages

Head-Modifier

Structure Head Modifier

Verb phrase verb object

Noun phrase noun adjectivenoun relative clause

prepositional preposition object of prep. phrase

Nouns & Adjectives in French & English

Comme prévu, le cycliste amateur a perdu la course. As expected, the amateur cyclist has lost the race.

Nouns & Adjectives in French & English

Robert remarqua la neige jaune près de l’arbre. Robert noticed the yellow snow next to the tree.

Vary word frequencies of N-A / A-N:

Hi-Hi, Hi-Lo, Lo-Hi, Lo-Lo

Vary plausibiltiy:

Lexical Decision RT

500

510

520

530

540

550

560

570

580

590

600

Low High

Frequency

RT (ms)

PositiveNegativeNeutral

N1 (unsigned) Voltage

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Low High

Frequency

Voltage (µV)

PositiveNegativeNeutral

Emotion X Frequency interaction

Also, in collaboration with Dr. Hartmut Leuthold

Lexical Decision(Stanovich & West, 1983)

550

600

650

700

750

800

Predictable Unpredictable

Context

LowHigh

Reading Time(Rayner et al., 2004)

260

270

280

290

300

310

320

Predictable Unpredictable

Context

LowHigh