Visual word recognition in bilinguals and monolinguals: behavioural and ERP investigations of the role of word frequency, lexicality and repetition

Corona Dzul, B. (2017) Visual word recognition in bilinguals and monolinguals: behavioural and ERP investigations of the role of word frequency, lexicality and repetition. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.

[thumbnail of FINAL_THESIS_BCD2017_nocopyrightimages.pdf]
Preview
PDF (Thesis for reader access - any sensitive & copyright infringing material removed) - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
Download (10MB) | Preview
[thumbnail of FINAL_THESIS_BCD2017.pdf] PDF (Thesis - as examined) - Repository staff only - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
Download (11MB)

Abstract

This thesis investigated visual word recognition in bilinguals and monolinguals through the effects of word frequency, lexicality and repetition. The first series of experiments focused on whether bilinguals can suppress lexical access in a non-target language and the role of task demands in L1 and L2 lexical access. The next series of experiments further investigated the role of task demands, list composition and repetition in monolinguals. The ERP data show, for the first time, that in bilinguals, lexical access occurs in the non-target language, supporting the notion of a nonselective lexical access. Delayed lexicality effects in ERPs for L2 compared to L1 suggested a delay in lexical access for L2 in late bilinguals, although behavioural data showed a similar word frequency effect to L1. These conflicting responses have not been anticipated by current models of bilingual visual word recognition. However, monolingual data make clear that lexical effects can be modulated by task demands and list composition in behavioural responses. In monolinguals, the slower processing of less familiar items was enhanced by item repetition only when the task required a lexical decision and words and word-like letter strings were presented. Lastly, this thesis has demonstrated that current models of visual word recognition have not fully implemented these elements and have not predicted response times distribution or ERPs. Future models of visual word recognition should incorporate these elements to be able to characterise lexical access in bilinguals and monolinguals.

Item Type: Thesis (University of Nottingham only) (PhD)
Supervisors: van Heuven, W.J.B.
Filik, R.
Keywords: Visual word recognition, Lexical Access, Bilinguals, Monolinguals
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1050 Educational psychology
Faculties/Schools: UK Campuses > Faculty of Science > School of Psychology
Item ID: 43522
Depositing User: Corona Dzul, Beerelim
Date Deposited: 19 Jul 2017 08:54
Last Modified: 12 Jul 2021 04:30
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/43522

Actions (Archive Staff Only)

Edit View Edit View