View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Is letter position coding a unique skill for developing and adult readers in early word processing? Evidence from masked priming.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Is letter position coding a unique skill for developing and adult readers in early word processing? Evidence from masked priming.
Authors: Gómez, Pablo (AUTHOR), Marcet, Ana (AUTHOR), Rocabado, Francisco (AUTHOR), Perea, Manuel (AUTHOR)
Source: Psychological Research. Jun2025, Vol. 89 Issue 3, p1-21. 21p.
Abstract: Reading words in alphabetic scripts requires encoding the relative order of the letters. This process of letter position coding is known to be flexible. For instance, the masked transposed-letter prime jugde activates the word JUDGE to a greater degree than a replacement-letter prime like jupte, a phenomenon known as the transposed-letter effect. In this study, we investigated whether the transposed-letter effect in masked priming is related to reading skills (as measured by a standardized reading test) in a sample of sixth-grade children. Targets (e.g., RITME: Catalan for rhythm) were preceded by identity primes (ritme), transposed-letter primes (rimte), or replacement-letter primes (risle) in a sandwich priming paradigm. Results showed that transposed-letter primes were more effective than replacement-letter primes but less effective than identity primes. More importantly, while the readers’ reading skills modulated overall latency and accuracy, we found no evidence that the participants’ reading skill modulated the size of the priming effects. This outcome prompted us to re-analyze analogous conditions in a masked priming mega-study with approximately 1000 adult participants (Adelman et al. Behav Res Methods 46(4):1052–1067, 2014), where we found a near-zero correlation between the size of transposed-letter priming and spelling and vocabulary tests. These findings suggest that if there are individual differences in the first moments of word processing, these are not detectable for neurotypical readers in laboratory tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Psychological Research is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 185721436
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Is letter position coding a unique skill for developing and adult readers in early word processing? Evidence from masked priming.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gómez%2C+Pablo%22">Gómez, Pablo</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Marcet%2C+Ana%22">Marcet, Ana</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rocabado%2C+Francisco%22">Rocabado, Francisco</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Perea%2C+Manuel%22">Perea, Manuel</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Psychological+Research%22">Psychological Research</searchLink>. Jun2025, Vol. 89 Issue 3, p1-21. 21p.
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Reading words in alphabetic scripts requires encoding the relative order of the letters. This process of letter position coding is known to be flexible. For instance, the masked transposed-letter prime <monospace>jugde</monospace> activates the word JUDGE to a greater degree than a replacement-letter prime like <monospace>jupte</monospace>, a phenomenon known as the transposed-letter effect. In this study, we investigated whether the transposed-letter effect in masked priming is related to reading skills (as measured by a standardized reading test) in a sample of sixth-grade children. Targets (e.g., <monospace>RITME</monospace>: Catalan for rhythm) were preceded by identity primes (<monospace>ritme</monospace>), transposed-letter primes (<monospace>rimte</monospace>), or replacement-letter primes (<monospace>risle</monospace>) in a sandwich priming paradigm. Results showed that transposed-letter primes were more effective than replacement-letter primes but less effective than identity primes. More importantly, while the readers’ reading skills modulated overall latency and accuracy, we found no evidence that the participants’ reading skill modulated the size of the priming effects. This outcome prompted us to re-analyze analogous conditions in a masked priming mega-study with approximately 1000 adult participants (Adelman et al. Behav Res Methods 46(4):1052–1067, 2014), where we found a near-zero correlation between the size of transposed-letter priming and spelling and vocabulary tests. These findings suggest that if there are individual differences in the first moments of word processing, these are not detectable for neurotypical readers in laboratory tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Psychological Research is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=185721436
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1007/s00426-025-02080-w
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 21
        StartPage: 1
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Is letter position coding a unique skill for developing and adult readers in early word processing? Evidence from masked priming.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Gómez, Pablo
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Marcet, Ana
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Rocabado, Francisco
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Perea, Manuel
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Text: Jun2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 03400727
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 89
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Psychological Research
              Type: main
ResultId 1