title: Text familiarity, word frequency, and sentential constraints in error detection.
abstract: The present study examines whether the frequency of an error-bearing word and its predictability, arising from sentential constraints and text familiarity, either independently or jointly, would impair error detection by making proofreading driven by top-down processes. Prior to a proofreading task, participants were asked to read, copy, memorize, or paraphrase sentences, half of which contained errors. These tasks represented a continuum of progressively more demanding and time-consuming activities, which were thought to lead to comparable increases in text familiarity and thus predictability. Proofreading times were unaffected by whether the sentences had been encountered earlier. Proofreading was slower and less accurate for high-frequency words and for highly constrained sentences. Prior memorization produced divergent effects on accuracy depending on sentential constraints. The latter finding suggested that a substantial level of predictability, such as that produced by memorizing highly constrained sentences, can increase the probability of overlooking errors.
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Mathematics, New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, NM 87701, USA. mpilotti@nmhu.edu
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pilotti
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chodorow
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schauss
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time; D011932:Reading; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D012660:Semantics; D055815:Young Adult