title: Discrimination in lexical decision.
abstract: In this study we present a novel set of discrimination-based indicators of language processing derived from Naive Discriminative Learning (ndl) theory. We compare the effectiveness of these new measures with classical lexical-distributional measures-in particular, frequency counts and form similarity measures-to predict lexical decision latencies when a complete morphological segmentation of masked primes is or is not possible. Data derive from a re-analysis of a large subset of decision latencies from the English Lexicon Project, as well as from the results of two new masked priming studies. Results demonstrate the superiority of discrimination-based predictors over lexical-distributional predictors alone, across both the simple and primed lexical decision tasks. Comparable priming after masked corner and cornea type primes, across two experiments, fails to support early obligatory segmentation into morphemes as predicted by the morpho-orthographic account of reading. Results fit well with ndl theory, which, in conformity with Word and Paradigm theory, rejects the morpheme as a relevant unit of analysis. Furthermore, results indicate that readers with greater spelling proficiency and larger vocabularies make better use of orthographic priors and handle lexical competition more efficiently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Journalism Studies, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Petar
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9708-7031
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Milin
authors.affiliation: Haskins Laboratories and Department of Psychology, SUNY, Albany, United States of America.
authors.forename: Laurie Beth
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.affiliation: Seminar für Sprachwissenschaft, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramscar
authors.affiliation: Seminar für Sprachwissenschaft, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hendrix
authors.affiliation: Seminar für Sprachwissenschaft, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: R Harald
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Baayen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003657:Decision Making; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010470:Perceptual Masking / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D011932:Reading; D012660:Semantics; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D014825:Vocabulary; D055815:Young Adult