UNDER-STANDING the effects of semantic transparency, affix position and task on the processing of complex German words

Abstract

While extensive cross-linguistic evidence shows that semantic transparency shapes lexical processing and representation of complex derived words, findings from German suggest that this may not hold across the board. To explore this discrepancy, we investigated the variables that might influence the processing of overtly presented derived words in German, focusing on the effects of semantic transparency, affix position and experimental task. Semantic transparency and affix position were manipulated across two tasks: cross-modal priming (N = 110) and auditory gap detection (N = 60). Results showed robust semantic transparency effects for all derived words. This was however further influenced by affix position, which modulated the processing of opaque but not transparent words; as well as the task demands. These results imply that morphological structure, affix position and task demands all combine to determine the processing and representation of derived words in German, bringing previously conflicting results across languages closer together.