Efectos de la frecuencia de uso en el reconocimiento de palabras

Abstract

The word-frequency effect, as it appears through many different experimental conditions, has been reviewed, and its prominent role in the construction of models for word recognition has been emphasized. Following Forster (1976) and Bradley (1978), word frequency has been used as a key variable in order to test in Spanish the distinction between two different access systems to the internal lexicon, respectively related with the open class and closed class vocabularies. The experiment is based on a lexical decision task, in which word stimuli of each vocabulary varied within a broad range of frecuencies, including, in the case of open class items, the same number of Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives. Besides the frequency estimates based on objective criteria, a subjective estimation was available from the judgements made by a group of 1] 0 subjects. Linear correlations between log frequency and RT in each word class show a significant difference in the frequency effects obtained in each vocabulary type; only the entries for the recognition of open class words seem to be accessed in order of frequency. However, some differences are also observed in the behavior of Nouns with respect to the other grammatical categories within the open class. When subjective frequency estimates are considered, an increase in all the correlations is shown, even though the general pattern of results is maintained.