Ambiguity and visual word recognition: can feedback explain both homophone and polysemy effects?
In a lexical-decision task (LDT), Hino and Lupker (1996) reported a polysemy effect (faster response times for polysemous words [e.g., BANK]), and attributed this effect to enhanced feedback from the semantic system to orthographic units, for polysemous words. Using the same task, Pexman, Lupker, and Jared (in review) reported a homophone effect (slower response times for homophonic words [e.g., MAID]) and attributed this effect to inconsistent feedback from the phonological system to orthographic units, for homophones. In the present paper we test two predictions derived from this feedback explanation: Polysemy and homophone effects should (a) co-occur in a standard LDT (with pseudoword foils) and (b) both be larger with pseudohomophones (e.g., BRANE) as foils in LDT. The results supported both predictions.
Pexman
P M
PM
Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Alberta. pexman@ucalgary.ca
Lupker
S J
SJ
D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005246:Feedback / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010700:Phonetics; D011930:Reaction Time; D012660:Semantics; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014825:Vocabulary