The Adaptive Value of Lexical Connotation in Speech Perception

Previous work (e.g. Bargh, Chaiken, Govender, & Pratto, 1992; Fazio, Sanbonmatsu, Powell, & Kardes, 1986) has shown that objects are evaluated on a goodness/badness dimension automatically and preconsciously. Vakoch and Wurm (1997; Wurm & Vakoch, 1996) have found similar results using different stimuli and tasks. They found that auditory lexical decision times depend on dimensions of connotation (Evaluation, Potency, and Activity). Reaction times (RTs) from these studies were interpreted in terms of the evolutionary adaptiveness of different types of perceptual processing. The current study introduces a new way to define words, using two dimensions (Danger and Usefulness) rather than three, that allows a direct test of the adaptiveness model. RTs for nouns chosen for their adaptive significance were related to Usefulness and Danger, and to the interaction between Usefulness and Danger. A database of dimension weights is included.

[1]  Lee H. Wurm,et al.  Auditory Processing of Prefixed English Words Is Both Continuous and Decompositional , 1997 .

[2]  Lee H. Wurm,et al.  Emotional Connotation in Speech Perception: Semantic Associations in the General Lexicon , 1997 .

[3]  T. Chartrand,et al.  Automatic Activation of Impression Formation and Memorization Goals: Nonconscious Goal Priming Reproduces Effects of Explicit Task Instructions , 1996 .

[4]  Douglas A. Vakoch,et al.  Dimensions of Speech Perception: Semantic Associations in the Affective Lexicon , 1996 .

[5]  J. Sinacore.  Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions , 1993 .

[6]  R. Zajonc,et al.  Affect, cognition, and awareness: affective priming with optimal and suboptimal stimulus exposures. , 1993, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[7]  S. Chaiken,et al.  The generality of the automatic attitude activation effect. , 1992, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[8]  R. Davidson.  Prolegomenon to the structure of emotion: Gleanings from neuropsychology , 1992 .

[9]  John R. Anderson,et al.  The Adaptive Nature of Human Categorization. , 1991 .

[10]  David B. Pisoni,et al.  Similarity neighborhoods of spoken words , 1991 .

[11]  Gerry Altmann,et al.  Cognitive Models of Speech Processing: Psycholinguistic and Computational Perspectives - Workshop Overview , 1989, AI Mag..

[12]  G. Altmann,et al.  Cognitive Models of Speech Processing: Psycholinguistic and Computational Perspectives - Workshop Overview , 1989, AI Mag..

[13]  S. Goldinger,et al.  Priming Lexical Neighbors of Spoken Words: Effects of Competition and Inhibition. , 1989, Journal of memory and language.

[14]  Anne Cutler,et al.  The role of strong syllables in segmentation for lexical access , 1988 .

[15]  J. Gee,et al.  Prosodic structure and spoken word recognition , 1987, Cognition.

[16]  David M. Sanbonmatsu,et al.  On the automatic activation of attitudes. , 1986, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[17]  J. Polivy,et al.  A conical model for the taxonomy of emotional experience. , 1983 .

[18]  W. Apple,et al.  Speaking emotionally: The relation between verbal and vocal communication of affect. , 1982 .

[19]  Jacob Cohen,et al.  Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences , 1979 .

[20]  William D Marslen-Wilson,et al.  Processing interactions and lexical access during word recognition in continuous speech , 1978, Cognitive Psychology.

[21]  N. Cliff,et al.  Multidimensional comparisons of structures of vocally and facially expressed emotion , 1975 .

[22]  Murray S. Miron,et al.  Cross-Cultural Universals of Affective Meaning , 1975 .

[23]  C. Osgood.  On the whys and wherefores of E, P, and A. , 1969, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[24]  C. Osgood,et al.  The Measurement of Meaning , 1958 .

[25]  S. Chaiken,et al.  The Automatic Evaluation Effect: Unconditional Automatic Attitude Activation with a Pronunciation Task , 1996 .

[26]  M. Eysenck,et al.  Biased cognitive operations in anxiety: artefact, processing priorities or attentional search? , 1991, Behaviour research and therapy.

[27]  C MacLeod,et al.  Biased cognitive operations in anxiety: accessibility of information or assignment of processing priorities? , 1991, Behaviour research and therapy.

[28]  J. L. Myers,et al.  Regression analyses of repeated measures data in cognitive research. , 1990, Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition.

[29]  R. Fazio.  Multiple Processes by which Attitudes Guide Behavior: The Mode Model as an Integrative Framework , 1990 .

[30]  John A. Bargh,et al.  Auto-motives: Preconscious determinants of social interaction. , 1990 .

[31]  G. Bower,et al.  Commentary on mood and memory. , 1987, Behaviour research and therapy.

[32]  William D. Marslen-Wilson,et al.  Function and process in spoken word recognition: A tutorial review , 1984 .

[33]  W. Nelson Francis,et al.  FREQUENCY ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH USAGE: LEXICON AND GRAMMAR , 1983 .

[34]  Max Coltheart,et al.  Access to the internal lexicon , 1977 .

[35]  M. S. Mayzner,et al.  Tables of single-letter and digram frequency counts for various word-length and letter-position combinations. , 1965 .

[36]  T. C. Schneirla.  Aspects of Stimulation and Organization in Approach/Withdrawal Processes Underlying Vertebrate Behavioral Development , 1965 .