Imageability, age of acquisition, and frequency factors in acronym comprehension

PLAYFOOT, David and IZURA, Cristina (2013). Imageability, age of acquisition, and frequency factors in acronym comprehension. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 66 (6), 1131-1145.

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Abstract

In spite of their unusual orthographic and phonological form, acronyms (BBC, HIV, NATO) can become familiar to the reader, and their meaning can be accessed well enough that they are understood. The factors in semantic access for acronym stimuli were assessed using a word association task. Two analyses examined the time taken to generate a word association response to acronym cues. Responses were recorded more quickly to cues which elicited a large proportion of semantic responses, and those which were high in associative strength. Participants were shown to be faster to respond to cues which were imageable or early acquired. Frequency was not a significant predictor of word association responses. Implications for theories of lexical organisation are discussed.

Item Type:	Article
Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018:	Psychology Research Group
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2012.731073
Page Range:	1131-1145
Depositing User:	David Playfoot
Date Deposited:	09 Oct 2014 10:16
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2021 08:19
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/8447

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