Morphological Decomposition Supports Word Recognition in Primary School Children Learning to Read: Evidence from Masked Priming of German Derived Words
Saved in:
| Title: | Morphological Decomposition Supports Word Recognition in Primary School Children Learning to Read: Evidence from Masked Priming of German Derived Words |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Fleischhauer, Elisabeth (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Research in Reading. Feb 2021 44(1):90-109. |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 20 |
| Publication Date: | 2021 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education |
| Descriptors: | Morphology (Languages), Language Processing, Word Recognition, Elementary School Students, German, Reading Processes, Semantics, Orthographic Symbols, Priming, Morphemes |
| DOI: | 10.1111/1467-9817.12340 |
| ISSN: | 0141-0423 |
| Abstract: | Background: When reading a word, skilled adult readers automatically decompose the word into its separate morphemes by processing the word's morpho-orthography. In children, however, it still remains unclear when and how they start to automatically decompose words into morphemes. Methods: To better understand how primary school children learn and integrate automatic morphological processes into their reading, we conducted a masked priming experiment with n = 218 first to fourth graders and a control group of 36 adult readers. Participants saw prime words on a computer screen for 67 ms, followed by a lexical decision task. For each target word, we constructed three prime words: an unrelated control prime, a semantic control prime and a test prime. The test prime was either morpho-semantically, morpho-orthographically or purely orthographically related to the target word. We analysed error rates and reaction times with linear mixed-effects models and linear combinations. Results: The error analysis revealed one significant interaction in the morpho-semantic condition for fourth graders. The reaction time analysis revealed different priming effects depending on age group: first and second graders showed no priming effects, while third graders showed priming in the morpho-semantic condition, and fourth graders and adults showed priming both in the morpho-semantic and morpho-orthographic condition. Conclusions: We conclude that (i) fourth graders automatically decompose written words into morphemes based on the words' morpho-orthography, (ii) third graders automatically detect stems in morphologically complex forms but do not rely on morpho-orthographic representations while (iii) first and second graders show no indication of either of these processes. Our results are theoretically consistent with the 'semantic view' within a localist account and can be explained by edge-aligned embedded word activation. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2021 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1282991 |
| Database: | ERIC |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Background: When reading a word, skilled adult readers automatically decompose the word into its separate morphemes by processing the word's morpho-orthography. In children, however, it still remains unclear when and how they start to automatically decompose words into morphemes. Methods: To better understand how primary school children learn and integrate automatic morphological processes into their reading, we conducted a masked priming experiment with n = 218 first to fourth graders and a control group of 36 adult readers. Participants saw prime words on a computer screen for 67 ms, followed by a lexical decision task. For each target word, we constructed three prime words: an unrelated control prime, a semantic control prime and a test prime. The test prime was either morpho-semantically, morpho-orthographically or purely orthographically related to the target word. We analysed error rates and reaction times with linear mixed-effects models and linear combinations. Results: The error analysis revealed one significant interaction in the morpho-semantic condition for fourth graders. The reaction time analysis revealed different priming effects depending on age group: first and second graders showed no priming effects, while third graders showed priming in the morpho-semantic condition, and fourth graders and adults showed priming both in the morpho-semantic and morpho-orthographic condition. Conclusions: We conclude that (i) fourth graders automatically decompose written words into morphemes based on the words' morpho-orthography, (ii) third graders automatically detect stems in morphologically complex forms but do not rely on morpho-orthographic representations while (iii) first and second graders show no indication of either of these processes. Our results are theoretically consistent with the 'semantic view' within a localist account and can be explained by edge-aligned embedded word activation. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0141-0423 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/1467-9817.12340 |
