The frequency of word gender as a variable for lexical access in Spanish

Abstract The endings of Spanish nouns reflect gender with varying degrees frequency and regularity. most common regular are -o for masculine -a feminine nouns, - o being more frequent less closely associated a specific category (masculine) than . Pairs words occurring both categories differ in the frequencies which they used as or forms: médic-o/médic-a ‘doctor’ (m.)/‘doctor’ (f.) is clear example masculine-dominant pair, whereas enfermer-o/enfermer-a ‘nurse’ (m.)/ feminine-dominant pair. Adult readers faster recognizing forms pairs, pairs (Dominguez, Alberto, Fernando Cuetos & Juan Segui. 1999. processing grammatical number Spanish. Journal Psycholinguistic Research 28(5). 485–498). This study aims to test dominant effect third sixth grade children, well adults. Children were but not pairs. Adults, by contrast, tended respond higher words, irrespective gender, indicating that have independent representations genders. dominance children could be consequence statistical distribution regularity experience skilled adult seems make them dependent on this pattern.