Examining the effects of sub-word processing units on the time-course of typewriting

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Vernon, M.L., 2019. Examining the effects of sub-word processing units on the time-course of typewriting. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

Contrary to models of speech production and handwriting, models of typewriting lack an account of processing of sub-word units (i.e. processing that occurs after the writer / speaker has started to output the word). This thesis examines factors that affect the time-course of production of sub-word letter strings.

The first series of experiments examined letter-chunking in typewriting. Participants repeatedly typed short letter-stings, manipulated for trigram and bigram frequency. Onset latency was shorter for high frequency bigrams and trigrams relative to low-frequency controls. Latencies were also shorter for the second keystroke in higher frequency bigrams. These findings can be interpreted as providing strong evidence that: (1) higher levels of processing are not limited to preparing individual letters when familiar words are not available; (2) stored motor plans are available for frequently used bigrams.

The second series of experiments addressed whether phonology affects within-word typewriting time-course. Participants typed letter strings designed to elicit resyllabification – the adjustment of syllable structure across a word boundary to aid speech articulation (see Levelt, Roelofs, & Meyer, 1999). For example, "bent inwards" is articulated with /tin/ as the second syllable. Participants typed word pairs in which consonant-vowel structure was manipulated across the word boundary such that if the words were articulated (including internally as inner speech) resyllabification would or would not occur. Latency of the consonant immediately before the word boundary in the resyllabification condition was shorter than in the control condition. Conversely, keystroke latencies after the word boundary were longer in the resyllabification condition. This is evidence of inner speech influencing the timing of motor production.

The time-course of typewriting is influenced by sub-word processing units – production is facilitated for high-frequency letter combinations – but that motor processing after word output is not, contrary to some current theory, informationally encapsulated, but instead affected by concurrent, non-motor processing.

Item Type:	Thesis
Creators:	Vernon, M.L.
Date:	August 2019
Rights:	This work is the intellectual property of the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed to the owner of the Intellectual Property Rights.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	03 Mar 2020 14:07
Last Modified:	03 Mar 2020 14:07
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/39359