The Role of Meaning in word Recognition

Abstract

The goal of the present discussion is to bring into focus a number of implicit assumptions in the area of word recognition research (see also Seidenberg, this volume). These assumptions revolve around what will here be referred to as the magic moment in word processing. The magic moment refers to that point in time where the subject has recognized the word but has yet to access meaning. Researchers have argued that they can both collect data and develop adequate models of this crucial point in word processing. The outline for this chapter is as follows: First, the empirical support for a magic moment is evaluated. The thrust of this discussion is that the major tasks used to provide data regarding the magic moment entail characteristics that question their utility as pure reflections of this crucial point in word processing. Second, an alternative framework is presented that emphasizes the functional utility of words in language processing, that is, to convey meaning. Third, empirical evidence is presented that suggests that meaning can contribute to components involved in early word processing. Finally, there is a brief discussion of how meaning might be incorporated into the current theoretical accounts of word processing.

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