Open AccessPseudohomophone effects provide evidence of early lexico‐phonological processing in visual word recognition
Author(s) -
Braun Mario,
Hutzler Florian,
Ziegler Johannes C.,
Dambacher Michael,
Jacobs Arthur M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.20643
Subject(s) - lexical decision task , psychology , lexico , word recognition , phonology , word processing , hum , cognitive psychology , cognition , linguistics , speech recognition , neuroscience , reading (process) , computer science , art , philosophy , performance art , art history
Previous research using event‐related brain potentials (ERPs) suggested that phonological processing in visual word recognition occurs rather late, typically after semantic or syntactic processing. Here, we show that phonological activation in visual word recognition can be observed much earlier. Using a lexical decision task, we show that ERPs to pseudohomophones (PsHs) (e.g., ROZE) differed from well‐matched spelling controls (e.g., ROFE) as early as 150 ms (P150) after stimulus onset. The PsH effect occurred as early as the word frequency effect suggesting that phonological activation occurs early enough to influence lexical access. Low‐resolution electromagnetic tomography analysis (LORETA) revealed that left temporoparietal and right frontotemporal areas are the likely brain regions associated with the processing of phonological information at the lexical level. Altogether, the results show that phonological processes are activated early in visual word recognition and play an important role in lexical access. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.