This thesis examines the semantic processing of morphologically complex words
during visual word recognition. In a series of three experiments this thesis addresses
(i) the role semantic transparency during compound word reading, (ii) the nature of
the conceptual structure of compound words and its effect on visual word recognition,
and (iii) the time-course of semantic access during the visual comprehension of derived
words.
Chapter 2 documents evidence that the outcome of the compound semantic
transparency effect is dependent upon the amount of language experience of the
reader. We report that high compound transparency inhibits less experienced
readers during naturalistic reading, yet facilitates processing among relatively more
experienced readers. This study is the first to demonstrate that semantic processing
of compound words is driven by individual reading skill.
The study reported in Chapter 3 tests the hypothesis that the conceptual representation
of a compound is based on a relational structure linking the compound’s
constituents. Across two lexical decision datasets, Chapter 3 reports that greater entropy
(i.e., increased competition) among a set of conceptual relations associated with
a compound gives rise to longer lexical decision latencies. This finding indicates that
the same compound word form is associated with many potential relational meanings,
and that these meanings compete for selection during visual word recognition.
Chapter 4 concerns the time-course of lexical-semantic access during derived
word recognition. Existing accounts of derived word recognition widely disagree
about whether access to conceptual information is granted prior to morphological
decomposition. We report evidence which shows that the semantics of derived words
and their stems are accessed in concert with morphological sources of information.
These results challenge theoretical accounts that advocate strictly serial access to
(morpho-orthographic then morpho-semantic) lexical cues.
Overall, the empirical evidence presented in this thesis suggests that morphological
processing involves rapid and concurrent access to many sources of conceptual
information. These findings align with a view of complex word processing in which
the cognitive system utilizes as many cues as possible in order to maximize the
opportunity of obtaining the meaning of the word. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/20433 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Schmidtke, Daniel |
| Contributors | Kuperman, Victor, Humanities |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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