Auditory Processing of Polymorphemic Pseudowords

This study compared models of auditory word recognition as they relate to the processing of polymorphemic pseudowords. Semantic transparency ratings were obtained in a preliminary rating study. The effects of morphological structure, semantic transparency, prefix likelihood, and morphemic frequency measures were examined in a lexical decision experiment. Reaction times and errors were greater for pseudowords carrying a genuine prefix, and this effect was largest for pseudowords that also carried a genuine root. While results were grossly similar for bound and free root types, there were also some important differences. Regression analyses provided additional support for decompositional models: semantic transparency, prefix likelihood, prefix frequency, and root frequency all affected pseudoword rejection times. The results are most compatible with a modification of Taft's (1994) interactive-activation model or a dual-route model.