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The effects of morphology on the processing of compound words: Evidence from naming, lexical decisions and eye fixations
Author(s) -
Juhasz Barbara J.,
Starr Matthew S.,
Inhoff Albrecht W.,
Placke Lars
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1348/000712603321661903
Subject(s) - lexeme , psychology , compound , linguistics , lexical decision task , reading (process) , sentence , lexical access , meaning (existential) , recall , word recognition , communication , cognitive psychology , cognition , philosophy , neuroscience , psychotherapist
The use of lexemes during the recognition of spatially unified familiar English compounds was examined in naming, lexical decision and sentence‐reading tasks by manipulating beginning and ending lexeme frequencies while controlling overall compound frequencies. All tasks revealed robust ending lexeme frequency effects, with compound processing being more effective when the ending lexeme was a high‐frequency word. Beginning lexeme frequency effects were more elusive and dependent on task demands. Eye movements, recorded during sentence reading, also indicated that the effects of ending lexemes occurred after the first fixation during compound viewing. Together, the results suggest either that the ending lexeme is used as an access code to locate the meaning of the full compound word or that its meaning is coactive with the meaning of the full compound.