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A dual-task investigation of automaticity in visual word processingAn analysis of activation models of visual word processing suggests that frequency-sensitive forms of lexical processing should proceed normally while unattended. This hypothesis was tested by having participants perform a speeded pitch discrimination task followed by lexical decisions or word naming. As the stimulus onset asynchrony between the tasks was reduced, lexical-decision and naming latencies increased dramatically. Word-frequency effects were additive with the increase, indicating that frequency-sensitive processing was subject to postponement while attention was devoted to the other task. Either (a) the same neural hardware shares responsibility for lexical processing and central stages of choice reaction time task processing and cannot perform both computations simultaneously, or (b) lexical processing is blocked in order to optimize performance on the pitch discrimination task. Either way, word processing is not as automatic as activation models suggest.
Document ID
20040141440
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
McCann, R. S.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field CA United States)
Remington, R. W.
Van Selst, M.
Date Acquired
August 22, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 2000
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance
Volume: 26
Issue: 4
ISSN: 0096-1523
Subject Category
Behavioral Sciences
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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