Phonological and Associative Inhibition in the Early Stages of English Word Identification: Evidence From Backward Masking

The role of phonological infonnation in English word identification and the activation pattern of phonological and associative dimensions were investigated with a backward-masking paradigm. Mask type (graphemic, homophonic, associative, unrelated word control, and nonletter #-baseline) and target exposure duration were manipulated. Graphemic and homophonic but not associative masks influenced target recognition at 28 ms, and homophonic masks inhibited recognition relative to graphemic masks. At 42 ms, homophonic masks facilitated recognition, and associates inhibited, rather than enhanced, recognition relative to word controls. These results suggest that phonological computation occurs before associative computation and that phonological inhibition arises from lexical competition. The phonological and associative inhibitory effects are interpreted in tenns of the center-surround perceptual principle. In this interpretation, backward-masking conditions cause observers to seek orthographic rather than phonological codes.