The effect of semantic ambiguity on reading aloud: A twist in the tale

Despite numerous studies investigating whether semantic representations are involved in the process of reading aloud, the issue remains controversial. While some studies report significant effects of semantic variables on this task (e.g., Fera, Joordens, Balota, Ferraro, Besner,1992; Strain, Patterson, & Seidenberg, 1995), other studies have highlighted possible problems with these studies (e.g., Borowsky Masson, 1996; Monaghan & Ellis, 2002). The experiments reported here use semantic ambiguity as a marker for semantic involvement and confirm that semantic representations can indeed affect reading aloud, but that the size of semantic effects is influenced by the consistency of the words and the speed with which participants respond.