SFB1287 - B04 - Variability and its limits in bilingual word recognition: A morphological-priming study

This study examines the processing of morphologically complex words focusing on how morphological (in addition to orthographic and semantic) factors affect bilingual word recognition. We report findings from a large experimental study with groups of bilingual (Turkish/German) speakers using the visual masked-priming technique. We found morphologically mediated effects on the response speed and the inter-individual variability within the bilingual participant group. We conclude that the grammar (qua morphological parsing) not only enhances speed of processing in bilingual language processing but also yields more uniform performance and thereby constrains variability within a group of otherwise heterogeneous individuals.

本研究探讨了形态复杂词语的处理过程，重点关注形态因素（包括正字法和语义因素）如何影响双语词汇识别。我们报告了一项大型实验研究结果，研究对象为使用视觉掩蔽启动技术的土耳其/德语双语者群体。我们发现，形态因素对双语参与者群体中的反应速度和个体间差异性产生了中介效应。我们得出结论，语法（即形态分析）不仅提高了双语语言处理的速度，而且产生了更为一致的表现，从而限制了原本异质个体群体内的差异性。