word meaning Flashcards
(41 cards)
how many words have multiple definitions?
80%
lexical ambiguity
many words have the same meaning
E.g., bank
location - bank
along a river - ban
meaning
different interpretations of a word that semantically unrelated
senses
different intepretations of a word that are related but still distinct from one another
what is parallel activation?
When the brain activates multiple related words at the same time during language processing (like hearing, reading, or speaking), before narrowing down to the correct one.
Are different meanings or senses of a word activated in parallel?
Yes — when you hear or read a word with multiple meanings (like “bank”), your brain often activates all possible meanings at the same time, then uses context to pick the right one.
What happens when you hear the word “bank” in a sentence like “She sat by the bank…”?
At first, your brain activates both meanings:
Bank (money place)
Bank (side of a river)
As the sentence continues, context helps keep the river meaning and discard the other.
when a word has multiple meanings is processing slower or faster?
slower
when a word has multiple senses is processing slower or faster?
when a word has multiple meanings is processing slower or faster?
How does context help us decide the meaning of ambiguous words?
They disambiguate them and provide context as to which definition of the word is being referred to
what are the two models that argue when this disambiguation occurs?
- Multiple access model —> all info processes then reduced
- Context Guided Single reading lexical access model —> context preselects the word
Multiple access model
Priming refers to the psychological phenomenon where exposure to a word (or concept) activates related words or concepts in memory, making them easier or faster to access.
Context Guided Single reading lexical access model
Only the correct candidate should prime related words
In the multiple accesses model what words are primed?
Initially, the multiple activated candidates should each prime related words
What is the Prime–Context–Prime method used in the word meaning study?
Participants read a sentence with an ambiguous word (e.g., “second”), followed by target words (like “first” and “time”) to see which meanings were activated based on context.
Were multiple target words (e.g., “first” and “time”) related to different meanings of “second” activated regardless of context?
Yes — initially, both meanings (ordinal: first, and time: time) were activated in parallel, even if only one fit the context.
Was only the context-relevant meaning eventually kept active?
Yes — over time, only the meaning that matched the context remained active (in this case, the time sense of “second”).
What sentence was used in the study to test the word “second”?
“I was waiting behind a man in line at the post office. He was so impatient, he looked like he was counting every second.”
Why was the word “first” activated after seeing the word “second”, even though it didn’t fit the context?
Because “second” has an ordinal meaning (first, second, third), the brain initially activated “first” as a related word — even though the sentence context only supported the time meaning. This shows that both senses were accessed in parallel at first.
Are all words primed/activated equally?
semantically stronger words are activated more strongly
when Ps were told ‘ FIND THE BE….’ was bed bench bell or apple most active
bench < bed < bell are activated in parallel at first
Why does “bench” overtake “bed” in eye fixations by the end of the trial in Dahan et al. (2001)?
Because listeners initially activate multiple candidates (like bed, bench, bell) when they hear “be…”.
“Bed” is more frequent, so it gets stronger early activation. But as more of the word is heard and “bench” becomes clear, the brain suppresses incorrect options, and attention shifts to “bench”, the correct match.
What were the two types of conditions shown to participants in the multi modal study?
Dominant/Frequent and Subordinate/Infrequent.
What was the example for the Dominant/Frequent condition?
“The violent hurricane did not damage the ships which were in the port, one of the best equipped along the coast.”
