Implicit testing and pre-recognition processing of spoken words and non-words

The current experiments were designed to examine several specific questions concerning memory for spoken items, and in particular the contributions of perceptual pre-recognition information to the construction of lexical representations. Most explanations of lexical identification involve the activation of multiple representations in the mental lexicon, based on incoming perceptual information. It is generally agreed that as the perceptual information in the speech stream unfolds over time, an online discrimination and organizational process occurs until a final word candidate is identified at which time post-recognition processes based on context and semantics begin. During the pre-recognition phase, the longer an item remains a potential candidate for the final word solution, the higher the degree of residual activation it acquires and the greater its potential to be inappropriately recalled or recognized at a later date as a previously presented word. Using a verbal list learning paradigm in conjunction with a divided attention task and a phonological manipulation procedure, two experiments are reported that focus on the encoding processes underlying phonologically induced priming. Experiment 1 investigated whether the phenomenon of phonological priming could be measured using an auditory stem completion task (generally considered an implicit test measure). This experiment also investigated the effects of dividing attention at study on the later identification of lexical items from auditory stems. Experiment 2 replicated the results of Experiment 1 and investigated the differential effects of implicit and explicit instructions at test on phonological priming. Results in both experiments showed that the phonological priming of words by manipulated non-word items can successfully be measured using an auditory stem completion test in either a within or a between groups design. Results in Experiment 1 indicated that dividing attention at study with an additional task requirement lowers correct hits overall but shows little impact on phonological priming. Results in Experiment 2 indicated that phonological priming is relatively insensitive to either dividing attention at study or to changes in task instruction at test. The results from both experiments support the hypothesis that perceptual based pre-recognition processing plays a significant role in driving phonological priming.