The odd effect and multiple meanings in English of the words "odd" and "even".
Under a variety of conditions, people take longer to make judgments about odd than about even digits and digit names. In English the words "odd" and "even" have multiple meanings. Perhaps the multiple meanings of these words are responsible for the slowing of responses to odd stimuli. This hypothesis was tested using participants who spoke no English and in whose native language, Polish, the words for the mathematical concepts of odd and even do not have multiple meanings.
Psychology Department, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY 10570-2799, USA. thines@pace.edu
Terence M
TM
Hines
D000293:Adolescent; D003210:Concept Formation; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D011044:Poland; D011578:Psycholinguistics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D012660:Semantics; D055815:Young Adult