| Abstract: | Tested the assumption that word-frequency effects on recognition result from differential ease of access to lexical entries for high- and low-frequency words. Previous researchers (McCann & Besner, 1987) found that pseudohomophones (e.g., TRAX) were named faster and more accurately than controls (e.g., PRAX), but pseudohomophone performance was not sensitive to base word frequency. In Exp 1 of the present series, performance on the same set of pseudohomophones and controls was assessed in the context of the lexical decision task (does this letter string spell a word?). Pseudohomophone performance was impaired relative to controls, which is commonly taken as evidence of contact with entries in a phonological lexicon. As in the naming task, however, pseudohomophone performance was insensitive to base word frequency. In Exp 2, pseudohomophone performance was examined in the context of a phonological lexical decision task (does this letter string sound like an English word?). Pseudohomophone performance was sensitive to base word frequency in phonological lexical decision. Word-frequency effects in binary decision tasks such as lexical decision and phonological lexical decision are attributed to a familiarity discriminatiion process that contributes bias to the decision stage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
