The Effect of Semantic Transparency in a Flanker Task.

This study tried to replicate and extend the semantic transparency morphological effect using the flanker lexical decision paradigm (Grainger et al., 2020). In the first experiment, stems were used as flankers of target words that could be truly morphological (hunt hunter hunt), pseudomorphological (corn corner corn), or form-related with the flanker (broth brothel broth). In half of the trials, a related flanker was employed, and in the other half, an unrelated word was presented as flanker (e.g., table player table). The results showed a facilitative effect for the related condition as a main effect with no difference between experimental conditions. These results were interpreted in terms of an orthographic facilitation taking place when whole stems are presented as flankers. In the second experiment, short derivational suffixes were used as flankers of the same targets employed in the first experiment. The results showed an inhibitory effect of the same magnitude for the transparent and pseudomorphological conditions with no effect for the form condition. This finding suggests an inhibitory effect by which morphemes activate several lexical candidates that compete for recognition. Overall, the results are interpreted in terms of the cognitive requirements of the experimental task, the items selected, and the current models of morphological processing.

Morpho-orthographic segmentation of opaque and transparent derived words: New evidence for Spanish.

Semantic transparency has been extensively analysed in research on visual word recognition. Under the masked priming paradigm, it has consistently been shown that opaque and transparent words are facilitated relative to form-related controls, but differences in priming between one condition and another have not been conclusively proven. Hence, research has been unable to theoretically elucidate the possible value of semantic transparency in the processing of derived words. This study describes two lexical decision experiments in Spanish. Experiment 1 revealed differences between the transparent and orthographic conditions, with no differences between the other conditions in the analyses of the error rates. In the second experiment, the participants visited the laboratory on two occasions, separated by a week. The task was administered twice, with participants responding to one of the experimental lists on each day. The results of this second experiment revealed significant differences in the size of the priming effect of the opaque and transparent conditions compared with the form-related condition, but without differences between these two effects. We discuss these findings from the perspective of current models of visual lexical processing.

Priming effects in the recognition of simple and complex words and pseudowords / Efectos de anticipación en el reconocimiento de palabras y pseudopalabras simples y complejas

Whether morphological processing of complex words occurs beyond orthographic processing is a matter of intense debate. In this study, morphological processing is examined by presenting complex words (brujería -> brujo - witchcraft -> witch), as well as simple (brujaña->brujo) and complex pseudowords (brujanza ->brujo), as primes in three masked lexical decision tasks. In the first experiment, the three experimental conditions facilitated word recognition in comparison to the control condition, but no differences emerged between them. Given the importance of the surface frequency effect observed, a second experiment was conducted. The results fully replicate those observed in the first one, but this time with low frequency targets. In the third experiment, vowels were removed from the stems of primes to reduce the orthographic overlap between primes and targets and, therefore, the influence of the embedded stem effect. The results show facilitative effects only for complex words. However, paired comparisons show no differences between experimental conditions. The overall results show the central role played by the processing of stems in visual word recognition and are explained in terms of current models of morphological processing

La cuestión de si el procesamiento morfológico ocurre más allá del mero procesamiento ortográfico continúa siendo objeto de intenso debate. En este estudio se examina el procesamiento morfológico en tres experimentos de decisión léxica con anticipador enmascarado presentando como anticipadores palabras complejas (brujería -> brujo - witchcraft -> witch), así como pseudopalabras simples (brujaña ->brujo) y pseudopalabras complejas (brujanza ->brujo). En el primer experimento, las tres condiciones experimentales facilitaron el reconocimiento en comparación con la condición de control, pero sin mostrar diferencias entre ellas. Debido a la importancia del efecto observado de la frecuencia de palabra se llevó a cabo un segundo experimento. En él se emplearon únicamente estímulos de baja frecuencia, pero los resultados fueron idénticos a los del primer experimento. En el tercer experimento se eliminaron las vocales de los anticipadores para reducir el solapamiento ortográfico entre anticipador y objetivo y, consecuentemente, la influencia del efecto de repetición de la base. Los resultados mostraron efectos facilitadores solo para las palabras complejas. Sin embargo, las comparaciones por pares no mostraron diferencias entre las condiciones experimentales. Los resultados obtenidos suponen en conjunto un rol muy destacado para el procesamiento de las bases en el reconocimiento léxico y son explicados a la luz de los modelos teóricos actuales sobre procesamiento morfológico

Written Type and Token Frequency Measures of Fifty Spanish Derivational Morphemes.

Several databases of written language exist in Spanish that manage important information on the lexical and sublexical characteristics of words. However, there is no database with information on the productivity and frequency of use of derivational suffixes: sublexical units with an essential role in the formation of orthographic representations and lexical access. This work examines these two measures, known as type and token frequencies, for a series of 50 derivational suffixes and their corresponding orthographic endings. Derivational suffixes are differentiated from orthographic endings by eliminating pseudoaffixed words from the list of orthographic endings (cerveza [beer] is a simple word despite its ending in -eza). We provide separate data for child and adult populations, using two databases commonly accessed by psycholinguists conducting research in Spanish. We describe the filtering process used to obtain descriptive data that will provide information for future research on token and type frequencies of morphemes. This database is an important development for researchers focusing on the role of morphology in lexical acquisition and access.

The suffix priming effect: Further evidence for an early morpho-orthographic segmentation process independent of its semantic content.

This work presents the results of a masked lexical decision experiment in which we explore the morphological parsing of Spanish suffixed or pseudosuffixed words through the suffix priming effect. Priming the bases or pseudobases with their suffixed or pseudosuffixed forms is the standard process in experiments aimed at understanding the processes underlying morphological parsing in visual word recognition with masked priming lexical decision (e.g., darkness-DARK; corner-CORN). We, however, compare the effect of suffix priming on the lexical decision of suffixed (ero-JORNALERO) and pseudosuffixed words (ero-CORDERO), as well as the effect of orthographic priming on nonsuffixed words (eba-PRUEBA). The results show that in the case of suffixed and pseudosuffixed words, related primes (ero-JORNALERO; ero-CORDERO) significantly accelerated response latencies in comparison to unrelated primes (ista-JORNALERO; ura-CORDERO), while for simple words there was no facilitation from the orthographically related prime in comparison to the unrelated prime (eba-PRUEBA; afo-PRUEBA). These results are consistent with the so-called morpho-orthographic segmentation process in the course of visual word recognition, which might also be independent of orthographic and purely semantic factors. Our results also support the view that morphological parsing takes place regardless of whether a stem is present in a word. These results complement findings from studies dealing with CORNER- and BROTHEL-like stimuli.

Written type and token frequency measures of fifty Spanish derivational morphemes

Several databases of written language exist in Spanish that manage important information on the lexical and sublexical characteristics of words. However, there is no database with information on the productivity and frequency of use of derivational suffixes: sublexical units with an essential role in the formation of orthographic representations and lexical access. This work examines these two measures, known as type and token frequencies, for a series of 50 derivational suffixes and their corresponding orthographic endings. Derivational suffixes are differentiated from orthographic endings by eliminating pseudoaffixed words from the list of orthographic endings (cerveza [beer] is a simple word despite its ending in -eza). We provide separate data for child and adult populations, using two databases commonly accessed by psycholinguists conducting research in Spanish. We describe the filtering process used to obtain descriptive data that will provide information for future research on token and type frequencies of morphemes. This database is an important development for researchers focusing on the role of morphology in lexical acquisition and access (AU)

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The role of derivative suffix productivity in the visual word recognition of complex words / El papel de la productividad de los sufijos derivativos en el reconocimiento visual de palabras complejas

In this article we present two lexical decision experiments that examine the role of base frequency and of derivative suffix productivity in visual recognition of Spanish words. In the first experiment we find that complex words with productive derivative suffixes result in lower response times than those with unproductive derivative suffixes. There is no significant effect for base frequency, however. In experiment two, the same procedure was undertaken with pseudowords, showing that when they are composed by productive derivative suffixes they take longer to be rejected than when they are composed by unproductive derivative suffixes. Again, the role of base frequency fails to reach significance. These results endorse the view that derivative suffixes have a relevant role in visual recognition of complex words. According to our results, derivative suffixes create the conditions for taking a lexical candidate as a legal lexical entry and therefore they contribute decisively to the lexical decision (AU)

En este artículo presentamos dos experimentos de decisión léxica que examinan el rol de las variables de frecuencia de base y de la productividad de los sufijos derivativos en el reconocimiento visual de las palabras. En el primer experimento encontramos que las palabras complejas con sufijos derivativos productivos tardan menos tiempo en ser respondidas que aquellas otras con sufijos derivativos improductivos. Se observa también la falta de significación para la frecuencia de base. En el experimento dos se lleva a cabo la misma metodología pero con pseudopalabras, mostrando que cuando éstas están compuestas por sufijos derivativos productivos tardan más tiempo en ser rechazadas que cuando están compuestas por sufijos derivativos improductivos. De nuevo la variable de frecuencia de base no alcanza valor significativo. Estos resultados respaldan la visión de que los sufijos derivativos tienen un rol relevante en el reconocimiento visual de las palabras complejas. De acuerdo a nuestros resultados, los sufijos derivativos crean las condiciones para tomar un candidato como una entrada léxica legal y por lo tanto contribuyen decisivamente a la decisión léxica. Estos resultados se interpretan finalmente a la luz de estudios previos centrados en las mismas variables (AU)