Lecture 8 - Language and Reading Flashcards
What was the main task in Ebbinghaus (1885) experiment?
Ebbinghaus learned lists of 13 nonsense syllables to criterion (2 correct serial recalls) and then relearned each after a variable interval.
What were the nonsense syllables used in Ebbinghaus’s experiment?
RUF, BEM, TOV, ZIG, MEP, LAR, DEX, VON, HUX, TIB.
What is the definition of phonemes in language?
Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in language, with 44 phonemes in English.
What is the difference between “cóntent” and “contént” in terms of language?
The difference is in the stress pattern, which can alter the meaning or pronunciation of words.
What is the main process in reading comprehension?
Reading comprehension involves identifying words, understanding sentence structure and meaning, and interpreting context and speaker intention.
What is the role of extralinguistic context in language understanding?
Extralinguistic context includes prior knowledge, cultural understanding, and the context of communication, which helps in fully interpreting a sentence.
What is lexical recognition in reading?
Lexical recognition is the process of recognizing words in different languages or contexts.
What is the Word-Superiority Effect?
The Word-Superiority Effect is the phenomenon where letters are more easily identified in the context of a word compared to when they are in a non-word.
What is the difference between serial and parallel models in word identification?
A serial model compares one word-form at a time, while a parallel model processes multiple word-forms simultaneously.
What is the main conclusion from Forster’s (1976) serial search model?
The model suggests that words are accessed in a serial manner, based on frequency, meaning that higher frequency words are recognized more quickly.
How does the parallel matching model explain frequency effects in word recognition?
The parallel matching model suggests that high-frequency words are recognized more quickly because they have higher baseline activation levels.
hat are the two main pathways for word recognition in skilled readers?
Skilled readers typically use a direct pathway (orthography → semantics) for high-frequency words, while a phonologically mediated pathway (orthography → phonology → semantics) is used for unfamiliar words.
What does evidence from patients with phonological dyslexia suggest about the routes to meaning in reading?
It suggests that phonological processing is not always necessary for reading comprehension and that a direct orthographic-to-semantic route can be used.
How does eye fixation duration relate to reading efficiency?
Longer fixations typically occur for longer or less frequent words, while shorter fixations are seen for shorter or high-frequency words, reflecting reading fluency and comprehension.
What are the two kinds of behavioral measures used to study word identification?
Laboratory tasks (discrete stimulus-response tasks) and on-line measures (continuous performance in natural reading).
What is the purpose of the ‘moving window’ technique in reading research?
The ‘moving window’ technique is used to determine how many letters around a fixation are processed by measuring the perceptual span in reading.
What evidence supports the idea that reading is not a simple left-to-right process?
Multiple words can be activated in parallel during reading, and similar-looking words can compete for recognition, leading to reading errors.
What happens when readers are presented with high-frequency words in the context of lexical decision tasks?
High-frequency words are recognized and processed faster, suggesting that prior knowledge of frequency helps word recognition.
How does advance knowledge of word frequency affect lexical decision times for high and low-frequency words?
Advance knowledge of frequency speeds up recognition for high-frequency words but does not significantly affect low-frequency words.
How does the dual-route model of reading explain phonological dyslexia?
The dual-route model suggests that individuals with phonological dyslexia may rely on a direct route to meaning, bypassing phonology, which can lead to challenges in pronunciation but not comprehension.
What is a “mental model” or “situational representation” in text comprehension?
It is a representation of the meaning conveyed by the text, constructed in memory to understand who is doing what, where, how, and why in the described scenario.
What is the role of working memory in constructing mental models?
Working memory holds the actively forming mental representation while reading, similar to the “on-stage” part of a play.
How does extralinguistic context aid in comprehension?
Extralinguistic context, including background knowledge, cultural, and contextual information, helps to fill gaps and enhance interpretation of text.
What is the difference between “direct” and “indirect” speech acts?
Direct speech acts reveal the intention through literal meaning (e.g., “shut the door”), while indirect speech acts involve implied meaning (e.g., “Could you pass the salt?”).
