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 AbstractIt is easier to decide which of two letters was presented tachistoscopically if the critical letter was in a word rather than in a scrambled word. We showed that this word-superiority effect holds just as strongly for pronounceable nonwords as for words, even when the critical letters are constant over all trials. This finding rules out word meaning and familiarity as variables accounting for the effect. In addition, it was found that the superiority of pronounceable stimuli holds for two-letter stimuli as well as four, and it is therefore concluded that the effect is not due to a memory limitation. An explanation of the effect in terms of the use of additional acoustic information is ruled out by showing that the effect was not diminished when the two possible words sounded exactly alike. An experiment using correctly and incorrectly spelled chemical formulas suggested that spelling regularities, regardless of pronounceability per se, account for the superiority effect. Finally, when decisions about two critical letters must be made on each trial, the correlation between being correct on one and on the other is higher for pronounceable stimuli under some conditions. Cited by (0)Copyright © 1973 Published by Elsevier Inc. The word superiority effect (WSE) refers to a phenomenon where it can be demonstrated that people can more easily recognize letters presented within words as compared to isolated letters and to letters presented within non-word strings. The effect was first described by Cattell (1886), and later contributions came from Reicher (1969) and Wheeler (1970). Source: Chase, C. H. and Tallal, P.: 1990, ‘A developmental, interactive activation model of the word superiority effect’, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 49, 448-487 Language A. Leverkuhn Last Modified Date: October 16, 2022 The Word Superiority Effect is an idea about language that dates back to the late 1800s with further research during the twentieth century. This hypothesis distinguishes the use of letters in words from the uses of letters in non-word sequences. What studies show is that humans are more able to recognize a letter in the context of a word than in some other context. Various tools and methods have been established to test letter recognition in large sample groups for accurate results. It’s not surprising to many linguists and other academics that people can more easily recognize letters when they are arranged in form of words. A word provides any number of powerful context clues for a given letter in any alphabet. Experts have come up with several categories of advantages for letters that are included in a word, rather than a random sequence or even a pseudo-word, such as a brand name. One advantage is that words are pronounceable, which adds an auditory component to the process of memorization. Another is the frequency with which words are used, again, compared to non-word sequences of letters; semantic value is another category of benefit. The Word Superiority Effect has been useful in the construction of some types of routine testing. For example, traditional eye tests ask patients to identify each of a string of letters that are not typically in the form of words. By taking away the word context advantages, doctors are better able to measure how well a patient can actually see and identify a letter by its form, rather than by context clues. Although modern studies continue to support the existence of the Word Superiority Effect, there is some interest in measuring how much the emergence of pseudowords or non-words in new communication methods like wireless cell phone texting may affect the difference in recognition between the letters in words, and in other sequences. As many cell phone users may typically use single letters or non-word sequences to communicate, some of the strength of the Word Superiority Effect might theoretically deteriorate in certain language communities. The idea that brand names and other dynamic language conventions might make some non-words or pseudowords familiar to audiences can also impact the general phenomenon described here. You might also LikeRecommendedWhat is meant by the word superiority effect quizlet?word superiority effect. The finding that accuracy in letter recognition is higher when the letter is in a word (than when it is in a nonword)
Is the word superiority effect top down?The “word superiority effect” is the phenomenon that people can recognize letters within words compared to recognizing letters that are isolated. It is part of top-down processing.
Why is the word superiority effect important?The WSE has proven to be an important finding for word recognition models, and specifically is supported by Rumelhart and McClelland's interactive-activation model of word recognition.
Who created the word superiority effect?The effect was first described by Cattell (1886), and later contributions came from Reicher (1969) and Wheeler (1970).
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