Does Top-Down Feedback Modulate the Encoding of Orthographic Representations During Visual-Word Recognition?
In masked priming lexical decision experiments, there is a matched-case identity advantage for nonwords, but not for words (e.g., ERTAR-ERTAR <  ertar-ERTAR; ALTAR-ALTAR = altar-ALTAR). This dissociation has been interpreted in terms of feedback from higher levels of processing during orthographic encoding. Here, we examined whether a matched-case identity advantage also occurs for words when top-down feedback is minimized. We employed a task that taps prelexical orthographic processes: the masked prime same-different task. For "same" trials, results showed faster response times for targets when preceded by a briefly presented matched-case identity prime than when preceded by a mismatched-case identity prime. Importantly, this advantage was similar in magnitude for nonwords and words. This finding constrains the interplay of bottom-up versus top-down mechanisms in models of visual-word identification.
1 Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar de Lectura (ERI-Lectura), Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.
Manuel
M
Perea
1 Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar de Lectura (ERI-Lectura), Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.
Ana
A
Marcet
1 Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar de Lectura (ERI-Lectura), Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.
Marta
M
Vergara-Martínez
D003463:Cues; D003657:Decision Making; D030141:Feedback, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D011932:Reading; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
lexical decision; masked priming; orthographic processing; visual-word recognition