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Abstract

The apparatus consists of a console with inserted circular array of 35 lighted buttons in three concentric circles of 5, 10 and 20 buttons each. Each button has a letter printed on its surface. The experimenter has control of a tape recorder on which are recorded the instructions, a switch which automatically raises the shield covering the button array, and the button lights. Moreover, he records the latency of response from the raising of the shield to the subject's depressing of a button with automatic timers. The subject is singly presented with instructional sentences of the basic form: "Press the X button ". By varying combinations of the labelled buttons and instructional sentences, one can test such linguistic independent variables as ambiguity, vagueness, and opacity, and such psycholinguistic variables as those specified for the double-bind hypothesis and other conflict models. Although the basic dependent variable is latency of response, others on observational categories can also be measured. Preliminary data with a simpler version of this apparatus demonstrate consistent differences and of response, others based on observational categories can also be measured. Preliminary orderings in mean and first trial latency between semantically congruent, ambiguous, and vague sentences.

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An Experimental Technique for Investigating Certain Linguistic and Psycholinguistic Phenomena

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