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Fast habituation to semantic interference generated by taboo connotation in reading aloud.

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Title: Fast habituation to semantic interference generated by taboo connotation in reading aloud.
Authors: Sulpizio, Simone (AUTHOR), Scaltritti, Michele (AUTHOR), Spinelli, Giacomo (AUTHOR)
Source: Cognition & Emotion. Nov2025, Vol. 39 Issue 7, p1609-1624. 16p.
Subjects: Taboo, Habituation (Neuropsychology), Cognitive interference, Control (Psychology), Sociolinguistics, Task performance, Oral reading, Cognitive ability
Abstract: The recognition of taboo words – i.e. socially inappropriate words – has been repeatedly associated to semantic interference phenomena, with detrimental effects on the performance in the ongoing task. In the present study, we investigated taboo interference in the context of reading aloud, a task configuration which prompts the overt violation of conventional sociolinguistic norms by requiring the explicit utterance of taboo items. We assessed whether this form of semantic interference is handled by habituative or cognitive control processes. In addition to the reading aloud task, participants performed a vocal Stroop task featuring different conditions to dissociate semantic, task, and response conflict. Taboo words were read slower than non-taboo words, but this effect was subject to a quick habituation, with a decreasing interference over the course of trials, which allowed participants to selectively attend to goal-relevant information. In the Stroop task, only semantic conflict was significantly reduced by habituation. These findings suggest that semantic properties can be quickly and flexibly weighed on the basis of contextual appropriateness, thus characterising semantic processing as a flexible and goal-directed component of reading aloud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Cognition & Emotion is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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
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  Group: Ti
  Data: Fast habituation to semantic interference generated by taboo connotation in reading aloud.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sulpizio%2C+Simone%22">Sulpizio, Simone</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Scaltritti%2C+Michele%22">Scaltritti, Michele</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Spinelli%2C+Giacomo%22">Spinelli, Giacomo</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Cognition+%26+Emotion%22">Cognition & Emotion</searchLink>. Nov2025, Vol. 39 Issue 7, p1609-1624. 16p.
– Name: Subject
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Taboo%22">Taboo</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Habituation+%28Neuropsychology%29%22">Habituation (Neuropsychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+interference%22">Cognitive interference</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Control+%28Psychology%29%22">Control (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sociolinguistics%22">Sociolinguistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Task+performance%22">Task performance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Oral+reading%22">Oral reading</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+ability%22">Cognitive ability</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The recognition of taboo words – i.e. socially inappropriate words – has been repeatedly associated to semantic interference phenomena, with detrimental effects on the performance in the ongoing task. In the present study, we investigated taboo interference in the context of reading aloud, a task configuration which prompts the overt violation of conventional sociolinguistic norms by requiring the explicit utterance of taboo items. We assessed whether this form of semantic interference is handled by habituative or cognitive control processes. In addition to the reading aloud task, participants performed a vocal Stroop task featuring different conditions to dissociate semantic, task, and response conflict. Taboo words were read slower than non-taboo words, but this effect was subject to a quick habituation, with a decreasing interference over the course of trials, which allowed participants to selectively attend to goal-relevant information. In the Stroop task, only semantic conflict was significantly reduced by habituation. These findings suggest that semantic properties can be quickly and flexibly weighed on the basis of contextual appropriateness, thus characterising semantic processing as a flexible and goal-directed component of reading aloud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Cognition & Emotion is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2307367
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 16
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      – SubjectFull: Taboo
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Habituation (Neuropsychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cognitive interference
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      – SubjectFull: Control (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sociolinguistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Task performance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Oral reading
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      – SubjectFull: Cognitive ability
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Fast habituation to semantic interference generated by taboo connotation in reading aloud.
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            NameFull: Sulpizio, Simone
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            NameFull: Scaltritti, Michele
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            NameFull: Spinelli, Giacomo
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            – D: 01
              M: 11
              Text: Nov2025
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              Y: 2025
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