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Readers Use Recent Experiences with Word Meanings to Support the Processing of Lexical Ambiguity: Evidence from Eye Movements

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Title: Readers Use Recent Experiences with Word Meanings to Support the Processing of Lexical Ambiguity: Evidence from Eye Movements
Language: English
Authors: Adam J. Parker (ORCID 0000-0002-1367-2282), J. S. H. Taylor (ORCID 0000-0002-1109-8539), Jennifer M. Rodd (ORCID 0000-0002-8608-7244)
Source: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 2025 51(7):1157-1177.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Reading Processes, Reading Strategies, Semantics, Ambiguity (Semantics), Language Processing, Eye Movements, Priming, Reading Rate, Sentences, Repetition, Adults, Foreign Countries, Effect Size, Bayesian Statistics
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom (London)
DOI: 10.1037/xlm0001418
ISSN: 0278-7393
1939-1285
Abstract: Fluent reading comprehension demands the rapid access and integration of word meanings. This can be challenging when lexically ambiguous words have less frequent meanings (e.g., the "dog" meaning of "boxer"). Indeed, readers fixate on lexically ambiguous words that are disambiguated toward their subordinate meaning for longer than matched control words embedded within identical sentence contexts. Word-meaning priming studies have shown that participants flexibly use recent experiences with ambiguous words to guide their interpretation when these words are presented in isolation, even after substantial delays. However, word-meaning priming paradigms have almost always used artificial tasks to measure word-meaning availability and we do not therefore know how priming would support lexical processing when reading for comprehension. Thus, we conducted two eye-movement experiments to examine word-meaning priming during sentence reading. Both experiments employed a 2 (ambiguity: low-ambiguity control vs. high-ambiguity) × 2 (priming: unprimed vs. primed) within-participants design, with either a 1-min delay (Experiment 1; N = 28) or a 30-min delay (Experiment 2; N = 60) between prime and test sentences. Both experiments showed greater reductions in go-past times and total reading times following priming for high-ambiguity target words than matched low-ambiguity control words, indicating that recent encounters support the processing of word meanings during sentence reading and that this effect extends beyond the simple repetition effect observed for low-ambiguity control words. This illustrates the remarkable flexibility of the human language system in using diverse input to refine stored lexical knowledge even in skilled readers.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/d4kem/files
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1508661
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Readers Use Recent Experiences with Word Meanings to Support the Processing of Lexical Ambiguity: Evidence from Eye Movements
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Adam+J%2E+Parker%22">Adam J. Parker</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1367-2282">0000-0002-1367-2282</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22J%2E+S%2E+H%2E+Taylor%22">J. S. H. Taylor</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1109-8539">0000-0002-1109-8539</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jennifer+M%2E+Rodd%22">Jennifer M. Rodd</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8608-7244">0000-0002-8608-7244</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Experimental+Psychology%3A+Learning%2C+Memory%2C+and+Cognition%22"><i>Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition</i></searchLink>. 2025 51(7):1157-1177.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Processes%22">Reading Processes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Strategies%22">Reading Strategies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Semantics%22">Semantics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ambiguity+%28Semantics%29%22">Ambiguity (Semantics)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Processing%22">Language Processing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Eye+Movements%22">Eye Movements</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Priming%22">Priming</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Rate%22">Reading Rate</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sentences%22">Sentences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Repetition%22">Repetition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adults%22">Adults</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Effect+Size%22">Effect Size</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bayesian+Statistics%22">Bayesian Statistics</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1037/xlm0001418
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  Data: 0278-7393<br />1939-1285
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: Fluent reading comprehension demands the rapid access and integration of word meanings. This can be challenging when lexically ambiguous words have less frequent meanings (e.g., the "dog" meaning of "boxer"). Indeed, readers fixate on lexically ambiguous words that are disambiguated toward their subordinate meaning for longer than matched control words embedded within identical sentence contexts. Word-meaning priming studies have shown that participants flexibly use recent experiences with ambiguous words to guide their interpretation when these words are presented in isolation, even after substantial delays. However, word-meaning priming paradigms have almost always used artificial tasks to measure word-meaning availability and we do not therefore know how priming would support lexical processing when reading for comprehension. Thus, we conducted two eye-movement experiments to examine word-meaning priming during sentence reading. Both experiments employed a 2 (ambiguity: low-ambiguity control vs. high-ambiguity) × 2 (priming: unprimed vs. primed) within-participants design, with either a 1-min delay (Experiment 1; N = 28) or a 30-min delay (Experiment 2; N = 60) between prime and test sentences. Both experiments showed greater reductions in go-past times and total reading times following priming for high-ambiguity target words than matched low-ambiguity control words, indicating that recent encounters support the processing of word meanings during sentence reading and that this effect extends beyond the simple repetition effect observed for low-ambiguity control words. This illustrates the remarkable flexibility of the human language system in using diverse input to refine stored lexical knowledge even in skilled readers.
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  Data: As Provided
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  Data: https://osf.io/d4kem/files
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1508661
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        Value: 10.1037/xlm0001418
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      – SubjectFull: Reading Processes
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      – SubjectFull: Reading Strategies
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      – SubjectFull: Bayesian Statistics
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      – SubjectFull: United Kingdom (London)
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      – TitleFull: Readers Use Recent Experiences with Word Meanings to Support the Processing of Lexical Ambiguity: Evidence from Eye Movements
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