Naming associated objects: Evidence for parallel processing
Earlier research has shown that speakers naming object pairs can retrieve their
names in parallel, but often fail to do so. The conditions for the occurrence of parallel
object processing are largely unknown. We examined how associations between objects
affected the speakers’ processing strategies. In Experiment 1, participants named object
triplets in a left-right-bottom order. During the saccade towards the right object
(interloper), it was replaced by a new object (target). We varied the relationship between interloper and target (conceptually related or unrelated) and between interloper and left
object (categorically related, associated, unrelated). Target gaze durations were shorter
after related than unrelated interlopers. However, this preview effect was independent of
the interloper-left object relationship, suggesting that the left and right object were
processed sequentially. In Experiments 2 and 3, participants named pairs of associated or
unrelated objects. The left objects were repeated several times in each test block to
facilitate their processing. Gaze durations for the left objects were longer in associated
than unrelated pairs, consistent with parallel processing of the associated objects and
interference among them. We will discuss how the difficulty of processing the objects
and the relationship between them jointly determine speakers’ processing strategy.
Publication type
TalkPublication date
2010
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