LEXICAL PROCESSING: MODELS OF VISUAL WORD RECOGNITION

Abstract

Lexical processing is defined as the way individual access words in the mental lexicon. Word recognition occurs after the end-point of the selection phase when a listener has determined which lexical entry was actually heard. It is quite problematic for researchers to propose one model, because there are certain factors (frequency, semantic priming, role of prior context
phonological structure, the efficiency of the selection process, etc.) that must be taken into account. This article examines the serial search models versus parallel processing models of word recognition. The models will be analyzed through the factors of word recognition. Although these various models do not entirely explain the process of word recognition, each of them can account for major findings related to frequency, semantic priming, and context.