The effect of semantic relatedness of ambiguous words in the free recall task
Abstract
Years of empirical work have shown that words with multiple related senses (polysemy) are
processed faster than unambiguous words, whereas the ones with multiple unrelated meanings
(homonymy) are processed slower (Rodd, Gaskell, & Marslen-Wilson, 2002). This was true
for the lexical decision task (LDT), however, if different experimental task was employed,
presence of those effects would vary. To account for this, Semantic Settling Dynamics (SSD)
model was developed (Armstrong & Plaut, 2016) which relies on the hypothesis that different
amounts of semantic demands between experimental tasks are the cause of varying effects.
Model predicts that polysemes produce a large effect in early phases that decreases with further
processing. In order to test this prediction further, we described polysemy by entropy – measure
that combines number of senses with the balance of their probabilities. In two experiments, we
used the same strategy of prolonging of the processing: we compared a... visual LDT with its
slowed down version. In our first experiment, slowing down was attempted by reducing
stimulus-background contrast and in the second one, we compared visual and auditory LDT
(Armstrong & Plaut, 2016; Medeiros & Armstrong, 2017). First manipulation failed to prolong
processing, although expected facilitatory entropy effect was present in both experimental
conditions (high contrast: b = -.011, S.E. = .004, df = 220.4, t = -2.41, p = .017; reduced contrast:
b = -.012, S.E. = .003, df = 232.4, t = -2.748, p = .006). Second manipulation substantially
prolonged the processing and the interaction between entropy and the experimental
manipulation was significant (b = .022, S.E. = .003, df = 139.485, t = 8.039, p = .000). In visual
LDT, expected entropy effect was found (b = -024, S.E. = .020, df = 142.885, t = 30.425,
p = .000), while in the auditory LDT (prolonged), there was no such effect (b = -.003,
S.E. = .005, df = 166.99, t = -.589, p = .557).
Both results are in the accordance with model predictions – when there was no prolonging of
the processing, there was no change in entropy effect, while in the prolonged condition the
effect disappeared. According to model background, auditory lexical decision should still
produce polysemy effect, while in our experiment no effect was noted in that condition. These
results implicate that SSD model may predict modulation of the entropy effect, however, it is
unable to predict the exact effect change which is a great limitation of its predictive power.
Keywords:
semantic ambiguity / entropy / polysemy / semantic settling dynamicsSource:
Knjiga rezimea, XXV naučni skup Empirijska istraživanja u psihologiji, 2019, 43-Publisher:
- Institut za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Univerzitet u Beogradu
- Laboratorija za eksperimentalnu psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Univerzitet u Beogradu
Funding / projects:
- Fundamental cognitive processes and functions (RS-179033)
- Psychological foundations of mental health: hereditary and environmental factors (RS-179006)
Note:
- Available at: http://empirijskaistrazivanja.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/KNJIGA-REZIMEA-2019-fin.pdf
Institution/Community
Psihologija / PsychologyTY - CONF AU - Manojlović, Milica AU - Mišić, Ksenija PY - 2019 UR - http://reff.f.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/4792 AB - Years of empirical work have shown that words with multiple related senses (polysemy) are processed faster than unambiguous words, whereas the ones with multiple unrelated meanings (homonymy) are processed slower (Rodd, Gaskell, & Marslen-Wilson, 2002). This was true for the lexical decision task (LDT), however, if different experimental task was employed, presence of those effects would vary. To account for this, Semantic Settling Dynamics (SSD) model was developed (Armstrong & Plaut, 2016) which relies on the hypothesis that different amounts of semantic demands between experimental tasks are the cause of varying effects. Model predicts that polysemes produce a large effect in early phases that decreases with further processing. In order to test this prediction further, we described polysemy by entropy – measure that combines number of senses with the balance of their probabilities. In two experiments, we used the same strategy of prolonging of the processing: we compared a visual LDT with its slowed down version. In our first experiment, slowing down was attempted by reducing stimulus-background contrast and in the second one, we compared visual and auditory LDT (Armstrong & Plaut, 2016; Medeiros & Armstrong, 2017). First manipulation failed to prolong processing, although expected facilitatory entropy effect was present in both experimental conditions (high contrast: b = -.011, S.E. = .004, df = 220.4, t = -2.41, p = .017; reduced contrast: b = -.012, S.E. = .003, df = 232.4, t = -2.748, p = .006). Second manipulation substantially prolonged the processing and the interaction between entropy and the experimental manipulation was significant (b = .022, S.E. = .003, df = 139.485, t = 8.039, p = .000). In visual LDT, expected entropy effect was found (b = -024, S.E. = .020, df = 142.885, t = 30.425, p = .000), while in the auditory LDT (prolonged), there was no such effect (b = -.003, S.E. = .005, df = 166.99, t = -.589, p = .557). Both results are in the accordance with model predictions – when there was no prolonging of the processing, there was no change in entropy effect, while in the prolonged condition the effect disappeared. According to model background, auditory lexical decision should still produce polysemy effect, while in our experiment no effect was noted in that condition. These results implicate that SSD model may predict modulation of the entropy effect, however, it is unable to predict the exact effect change which is a great limitation of its predictive power. PB - Institut za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Univerzitet u Beogradu PB - Laboratorija za eksperimentalnu psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Univerzitet u Beogradu C3 - Knjiga rezimea, XXV naučni skup Empirijska istraživanja u psihologiji T1 - The effect of semantic relatedness of ambiguous words in the free recall task SP - 43 UR - https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_4792 ER -
@conference{ author = "Manojlović, Milica and Mišić, Ksenija", year = "2019", abstract = "Years of empirical work have shown that words with multiple related senses (polysemy) are processed faster than unambiguous words, whereas the ones with multiple unrelated meanings (homonymy) are processed slower (Rodd, Gaskell, & Marslen-Wilson, 2002). This was true for the lexical decision task (LDT), however, if different experimental task was employed, presence of those effects would vary. To account for this, Semantic Settling Dynamics (SSD) model was developed (Armstrong & Plaut, 2016) which relies on the hypothesis that different amounts of semantic demands between experimental tasks are the cause of varying effects. Model predicts that polysemes produce a large effect in early phases that decreases with further processing. In order to test this prediction further, we described polysemy by entropy – measure that combines number of senses with the balance of their probabilities. In two experiments, we used the same strategy of prolonging of the processing: we compared a visual LDT with its slowed down version. In our first experiment, slowing down was attempted by reducing stimulus-background contrast and in the second one, we compared visual and auditory LDT (Armstrong & Plaut, 2016; Medeiros & Armstrong, 2017). First manipulation failed to prolong processing, although expected facilitatory entropy effect was present in both experimental conditions (high contrast: b = -.011, S.E. = .004, df = 220.4, t = -2.41, p = .017; reduced contrast: b = -.012, S.E. = .003, df = 232.4, t = -2.748, p = .006). Second manipulation substantially prolonged the processing and the interaction between entropy and the experimental manipulation was significant (b = .022, S.E. = .003, df = 139.485, t = 8.039, p = .000). In visual LDT, expected entropy effect was found (b = -024, S.E. = .020, df = 142.885, t = 30.425, p = .000), while in the auditory LDT (prolonged), there was no such effect (b = -.003, S.E. = .005, df = 166.99, t = -.589, p = .557). Both results are in the accordance with model predictions – when there was no prolonging of the processing, there was no change in entropy effect, while in the prolonged condition the effect disappeared. According to model background, auditory lexical decision should still produce polysemy effect, while in our experiment no effect was noted in that condition. These results implicate that SSD model may predict modulation of the entropy effect, however, it is unable to predict the exact effect change which is a great limitation of its predictive power.", publisher = "Institut za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Univerzitet u Beogradu, Laboratorija za eksperimentalnu psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Univerzitet u Beogradu", journal = "Knjiga rezimea, XXV naučni skup Empirijska istraživanja u psihologiji", title = "The effect of semantic relatedness of ambiguous words in the free recall task", pages = "43", url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_4792" }
Manojlović, M.,& Mišić, K.. (2019). The effect of semantic relatedness of ambiguous words in the free recall task. in Knjiga rezimea, XXV naučni skup Empirijska istraživanja u psihologiji Institut za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Univerzitet u Beogradu., 43. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_4792
Manojlović M, Mišić K. The effect of semantic relatedness of ambiguous words in the free recall task. in Knjiga rezimea, XXV naučni skup Empirijska istraživanja u psihologiji. 2019;:43. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_4792 .
Manojlović, Milica, Mišić, Ksenija, "The effect of semantic relatedness of ambiguous words in the free recall task" in Knjiga rezimea, XXV naučni skup Empirijska istraživanja u psihologiji (2019):43, https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_4792 .