, C. C. 1 , Lallier, M. 2 & Guediche, S. 2
1 UPV/EHU
2 BCBL
When comprehending language we anticipate or predict upcoming information using contextual cues. Evidence suggests that a sentence context can support efficient language comprehension in both visual and auditory modalities. Interestingly some studies have found group differences in contextual facilitation between skilled and less skilled readers. According to recent reading studies decreased interletter spacing creates a noisy visual input that impedes the encoding process in visual word recognition and natural reading. Dyslexic readers are especially impacted by the negative effect of decreased interletter spacing on reading speed and accuracy. Whereas highly predictable sentences facilitate word processing, decreased interletter spacing hinders sensory processing of visually presented words. The aim of this cross-modal experiment is to test whether an auditory predictable sentence context reduces the negative effect of crowding on visual word recognition. We will manipulate sentence predictability, interletter spacing and lexical status in a lexical decision task to investigate whether an auditory sentence context can reduce the negative impact of crowding. In addition, we will assess adult participants? reading fluency and decoding skills to explore the individual differences in the use of context and sensitivity to crowding. We hypothesise that reaction times will be faster for predictable compared to unpredictable sentences, for standard compared to decreased interletter spacing, and for words compared to pseudowords. We also expect a stronger lexicality effect for items primed with predictable compared to unpredictable sentences. Importantly, we expect a predictable auditory sentence context to boost the intelligibility of a written word and, therefore, reduce the negative effect of crowding in reading. We predict that this interaction will be correlated with reading skill. If individual differences reveal a bigger interaction between context and stimulus quality for poorer readers, as seen in previous studies, the results could point towards a practical solution to assist reading acquisition in dyslexic readers.