The Role Of Sensory Modality In Lexical Decision And Semantic Priming

Overview

The methods section outlines the systematic approach used to conduct the study, ensuring replicability and transparency. This section details the research design, participant characteristics, materials, procedures, and ethical considerations, providing a comprehensive overview of how the research was conducted.

Participants

The study involved a total of 120 participants, aged between 18 and 35 years, with a mean age of 25.4 years (SD = 4.2). Participants were recruited from a university campus through convenience sampling. Inclusion criteria required participants to be fluent in English and have normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing. Exclusion criteria included a history of neurological or psychiatric disorders, as these could influence cognitive processing and potentially confound the results.

Participants were divided equally into two groups (n = 60 per group) based on the sensory modality they were assigned to: visual or auditory. Gender distribution was balanced across groups, with 30 males and 30 females in each. This demographic information was considered essential to ensure the generalizability of the findings and to examine whether gender played any role in lexical-semantic recall.

Ethnic diversity was also noted, with participants representing various backgrounds, reflecting the broader population of the university. However, no specific analysis was conducted based on ethnicity as the study primarily focused on the effects of modality and word type on recall. Participants were informed about the study’s objectives and procedures before their involvement, and all gave informed consent. They were compensated for their time with a small monetary reward, a standard practice to enhance participation rates without introducing bias. The ethical considerations regarding participant selection and compensation were strictly adhered to in compliance with institutional guidelines.

Materials

The study utilized a range of materials designed to assess lexical-semantic recall across different sensory modalities. For the visual modality group, participants were presented with word stimuli on a computer screen using Qualtrics, an online survey platform. The words were displayed in a standardized font (Arial, 36 pt) with black text on a white background to minimize visual distractions. The screen resolution was set at 1920×1080 pixels, and participants were seated approximately 50 cm from the screen to ensure consistent viewing conditions. A total of 100 words, evenly split between high-frequency and low-frequency categories, were randomly selected from a standardized word database.

For the auditory modality group, the same set of words was presented aurally through high-quality headphones (Sennheiser HD 280 Pro) connected to the computer. The words were pre-recorded in a clear, neutral tone by a native English speaker, and the volume was adjusted to a comfortable level for each participant. The auditory stimuli were delivered using E-Prime software, which also recorded response times and accuracy.

In both modalities, responses were recorded via a standard keyboard, with participants instructed to press specific keys corresponding to their recall of word meaning or recognition. The study also employed a lexical decision task to measure the speed and accuracy of word recognition, as well as a semantic priming task to explore the associative links between words. All materials were pilot-tested to ensure clarity and appropriateness for the target population. Additionally, the study materials were designed to be equivalent across modalities, ensuring that any observed differences in recall could be attributed to the modality itself rather than discrepancies in the stimuli.

Research Design

The study utilized a mixed design incorporating both between-subjects and within-subjects elements, chosen to capture the complexities of lexical-semantic recall across different sensory modalities. A between-subjects design was employed to compare the performance of participants across different modalities—visual and auditory—allowing for an analysis of the modality-specific effects on lexical-semantic recall. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of the modality conditions, ensuring that the groups were independent and that any observed differences could be attributed to the modality rather than individual differences.

Concurrently, a within-subjects design was implemented to assess the consistency of lexical-semantic recall across different types of word stimuli (e.g., high-frequency vs. low-frequency words) within each modality condition. By having the same participants perform tasks involving various word stimuli, this design controlled for individual differences and focused on the interaction between word type and modality. The mixed design was chosen for its ability to provide a comprehensive understanding of both the between-group differences in modality-specific processing and the within-group variations in lexical-semantic recall based on word characteristics. This dual approach enhances the study’s ability to uncover nuanced insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying lexical-semantic recall.

Procedure And Consent

The participants underwent a structured experimental session that lasted approximately 45 minutes. Upon arrival at the testing location, participants were welcomed and given a brief overview of the study’s purpose. They were informed that the study aimed to investigate the effects of sensory modality on lexical-semantic recall and that their participation would involve responding to word stimuli presented either visually or aurally.

Participants were first provided with written and verbal instructions detailing the tasks they would perform. They were informed about the need to respond as quickly and accurately as possible. Before beginning the actual trials, participants completed a set of practice trials to familiarize themselves with the procedure and the equipment. These practice trials included a small subset of the word stimuli and were designed to ensure that participants were comfortable with the task and understood the requirements.

The experimental session was divided into two main parts, corresponding to the visual and auditory conditions. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of these conditions. In the visual condition, participants viewed a series of words displayed on a computer screen, while in the auditory condition, participants listened to the same words through headphones. The word stimuli were presented one at a time, with each word appearing or being heard for 2000 milliseconds, followed by a 500-millisecond interstimulus interval. Participants were required to make a lexical decision after each word, pressing one key if the word was real and another if it was a non-word. The response time and accuracy were recorded for each trial. After completing the word recognition task, participants were given a brief break before moving on to the semantic priming task, which also involved making quick decisions about the meaning of word pairs presented in their assigned modality.

After the experimental trials, participants were provided with a short debriefing session, during which the true purpose of the study was explained in more detail. They were given the opportunity to ask questions about the study and the tasks they had completed. Participants were also assured that their individual data would remain confidential and would be used solely for research purposes.

Prior to participation, all individuals were required to read and sign an informed consent form, which outlined the study’s aims, procedures, potential risks, and their rights as participants, including the right to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. The consent form emphasized that participation was voluntary and that any data collected would be anonymized. The study protocol, including the informed consent process, was reviewed and approved by the university’s Ethics Review Board to ensure compliance with ethical standards in research. The study adhered to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki, ensuring the protection of participants’ rights and well-being throughout the research process.