Real-time functional architecture of visual word recognition

Whiting, C. , Shtyrov, Y. and Marslen-Wilson, W. (2015) Real-time functional architecture of visual word recognition. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 27(2), pp. 246-265. (doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_00699) (PMID:25208741)

Abstract

Despite a century of research into visual word recognition, basic questions remain unresolved about the functional architecture of the process that maps visual inputs from orthographic analysis onto lexical form and meaning and about the units of analysis in terms of which these processes are conducted. Here we use magnetoencephalography, supported by a masked priming behavioral study, to address these questions using contrasting sets of simple (walk), complex (swimmer), and pseudo-complex (corner) forms. Early analyses of orthographic structure, detectable in bilateral posterior temporal regions within a 150–230 msec time frame, are shown to segment the visual input into linguistic substrings (words and morphemes) that trigger lexical access in left middle temporal locations from 300 msec. These are primarily feedforward processes and are not initially constrained by lexical-level variables. Lexical constraints become significant from 390 msec, in both simple and complex words, with increased processing of pseudowords and pseudo-complex forms. These results, consistent with morpho-orthographic models based on masked priming data, map out the real-time functional architecture of visual word recognition, establishing basic feedforward processing relationships between orthographic form, morphological structure, and lexical meaning.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Whiting, Dr Caroline
• Authors: Whiting, C., Shtyrov, Y., and Marslen-Wilson, W.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience
• Journal Name: Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
• Publisher: MIT Press
• ISSN: 0898-929X
• ISSN (Online): 1530-8898
• Published Online: 11 September 2014
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2014 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• First Published: First published in Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 27(2): 246-265
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license