Meaningfulness and Visual Recognition Threshold

Abstract

High and low Verbal Ability Ss responded to 12 trigrams presented in a Gerbrands tachistoscope. The trigrams varied in meaningfulness (low, medium, high) as defined by Noble's a' scale and were homogeneous in pronounceability. All Ss received the trigrams in the same order with meaningfulness counterbalanced over the first and second half of the series. Contrary to expectation recognition thresholds tended to vary directly with meaningfulness, but only for words in the second half of the list. These findings were discussed in terms of their implications for previously observed relationships between frequency of usage, meaningfulness, and recognition thresholds for words and nonsense material.