Abstract

Using the Reicher-Wheeler paradigm, we examined the word superiority effect (WSE) in the identification of Hangul syllables. To do so, we manipulated lexical properties such as word frequency, syllable frequency and semantic transparency. In Experiment 1, word frequency and target syllable frequency were manipulated. Semantic transparencies were manipulated in Experiment 2. The results of the two experiments showed the robust WSE in perception of Hangul syllables. The WSE was also modulated by word frequency, syllable frequency, and semantic transparency. The word superiority effect was shown to be larger when the word frequency was high, when the syllable frequency was low, and when the semantic transparency was low. The results indicate that the early processes of visual word recognition are modulated by top-down lexical effects.