Assessing word reading automaticity as freedom from interference in a Visual World Paradigm

Efficient word processing requires rapid activation of phonological and semantical codes, assumed to be achieved by developing automaticity at the word-level. Researchers have by this definition conceptualized automaticity as a component of speed, facilitating the rate at which individual words could be recognized. Although speed is undoubtedly a valid index of word reading automaticity, it overlooks an important factor. When we read, we do not see words in isolation, but in the presence of other words. Skilled readers do not process individual words one by one, but in parallel with other words. Simultaneous processing entails that individual words are processed attention free, not being susceptible to interference. However, if attention is required at the word-level, then parallel processing is assumed to be challenging due to interference from adjacent words. The aim of the present study is to develop a new measure of word reading automaticity to investigate the idea that a word is read automatically to the extent it is not susceptible to interference from adjacent words. Considering the possibility that measuring lexical activation in the context of other words might provide a better index of word reading automaticity, as opposed to measures utilizing single word presentations. Subjects were 62 students and nonstudents (M = 25 years, SD = 3.20) with no reading or learning difficulty (established by self-report). To assess word reading automaticity, the present study incorporated an Eye-tracking experiment, introducing a masked and flanked presentation of words in a Visual Word Paradigm. The experiment featured a total of 120 trials (with and addition of six practice trials), divided by three blocks of 40 trials each. The target appeared in one of three conditions for a duration of 75ms. The conditions consisted of presenting the target being flanked bilaterally by either nothing (baseline), nonverbal symbols (%%) or other words (e.g., pan dog duck). The target word corresponded to one of four pictures displayed on a computer screen. Participants were required to click on the picture depicting the target word, while their gaze was tracked to see how quickly they fixated on the correct picture. The results showed that the rate of lexical activation for words presented in the Word flanker condition, differed significantly from the Baseline and Visual flanker condition. Participants spent on average significantly less time fixating the target image within the Word flanker condition for both high and low frequency words, due to interference from adjacent words. Suggesting that an automatic process is to some degree susceptible to spatial interference and does involve attentional processing. Current findings present a valid case for the argument that high-level word recognition automaticity is to some extent susceptible to interference. However, the present study included only a limited sample of skilled readers and may not have uncovered the true effect of interference from adjacent words. Considering that it would require a larger sample with additional comparisons between skilled and less skilled readers. In sum, based on current results. I propose that the importance of automaticity should go beyond the role of speed and address automaticity as a resource-based approach