Perception of Wordlikeness: Effects of Segment Probability and Length on the Processing of Nonwords

Abstract

A probabilistic phonotactic grammar based on the probabilities of the constituents contained in a dictionary of English was used to generate multisyllabic nonwords. English-speaking listeners evaluated the wordlikeness of these patterns. Wordlikeness ratings were higher for nonwords containing high-probability constituents and were also higher for nonwords with fewer syllables. Differences in the processing of these same nonwords that partially reflected their perceived wordlikeness were also found in a recognition memory task. Nonwords with higher probability constituents yielded better recognition memory performance, suggesting that participants were able to use their knowledge of frequently occurring lexical patterns to improve recognition. These results suggest that lexical patterns provide the foundation of an emergent phonological competence used to process nonwords in both linguistic and metalinguistic tasks.

FIG. 1

Structured phonological representation of example nonwords created from the eight constituent distributions, one for each length. The two- and four-syllable nonwords have high constituent probability and the three-syllable nonword has low constituent probability. σ_s, strong syllable (stressed); σ_w, weak syllable (unstressed); O, onset; R, rime.

FIG. 2

Mean subjective ratings for the nonword stimuli in Experiment 1 for each constituent probability group (High vs Low) and length in syllables (two, three, or four). Error bars show 99% confidence interval for the mean.

FIG. 3

Mean subjective ratings for each nonword in Experiment 1 as a function of the log product of onset and rime probabilities for the nonword.

FIG. 4

Percentage of participants responding with a rating higher than an implicit rejection for each nonword in Experiment 1 as a function of the log product probability.

FIG. 5

Percentage of acceptances for each nonword in Experiment 2 for each constituent probability group (High vs Low) and length in syllables (two, three, or four). Error bars show 99% confidence interval for the mean.

FIG. 6

Percentage acceptances for each nonword in Experiment 2 as a function of the log product probability.

FIG. 7

Mean d′ within each constituent probability group (High vs Low) and length in syllables (two, three, or four) in Experiment 3. Error bars show 99% confidence interval for the mean.