The current thesis aims to investigate cascaded processing in visual word recognition by testing the predictions of the Dual Route Cascaded (DRC) model of reading. Despite widespread acceptance of the idea that visual language processing is cascaded, there are circumstances in which such an account is not easily reconciled with the data produced by skilled readers. Recent experiments involving factorial manipulations in reading showed, in particular, additive effects of stimulus quality (i.e., clear vs. degraded stimuli) with letter string length and orthographic neighbourhood size in nonword reading and with word frequency and lexicality when words and nonwords were mixed in the task, thus suggesting that information processing implicated in visual word recognition must be at least partially thresholded. Six experiments have been presented in this thesis: on one hand, a new variable that has a role when the stimuli are degraded – the Total Letter Confusability – has been introduced; on the other hand, the effects due to list composition have been analyzed when the stimuli were degraded in the task. In general, the results obtained suggest a novel interpretation of the additivities previously observed; these findings have been explained within the DRC model which also correctly simulates a significant amount of the data. The empirical evidence collected so far clearly indicates that there is currently no need to assume thresholded processing in the reading system.

Cascaded and thresholded processing in visual word recognition: does the Dual Route Cascaded model require a threshold? / Cembrani, Veronica. - (2010), pp. 1-140.

Cascaded and thresholded processing in visual word recognition: does the Dual Route Cascaded model require a threshold?

Cembrani, Veronica
2010-01-01

Abstract

The current thesis aims to investigate cascaded processing in visual word recognition by testing the predictions of the Dual Route Cascaded (DRC) model of reading. Despite widespread acceptance of the idea that visual language processing is cascaded, there are circumstances in which such an account is not easily reconciled with the data produced by skilled readers. Recent experiments involving factorial manipulations in reading showed, in particular, additive effects of stimulus quality (i.e., clear vs. degraded stimuli) with letter string length and orthographic neighbourhood size in nonword reading and with word frequency and lexicality when words and nonwords were mixed in the task, thus suggesting that information processing implicated in visual word recognition must be at least partially thresholded. Six experiments have been presented in this thesis: on one hand, a new variable that has a role when the stimuli are degraded – the Total Letter Confusability – has been introduced; on the other hand, the effects due to list composition have been analyzed when the stimuli were degraded in the task. In general, the results obtained suggest a novel interpretation of the additivities previously observed; these findings have been explained within the DRC model which also correctly simulates a significant amount of the data. The empirical evidence collected so far clearly indicates that there is currently no need to assume thresholded processing in the reading system.
2010
XXIII
2009-2010
Scienze della Cogn e della Form (cess.4/11/12)
Psychological Sciences and Education
Coltheart, Max
Job, Remo
Mulatti, Claudio
no
Inglese
Settore M-PSI/01 - Psicologia Generale
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
PhD_Thesis_Veronica_Cembrani.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Tesi di dottorato (Doctoral Thesis)
Licenza: Tutti i diritti riservati (All rights reserved)
Dimensione 959.57 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
959.57 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11572/368685
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact