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The effect of letter-case type on the semantic processing of words and sentences during attentive and mind-wandering states

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2022

Nicolas Laham  and
Craig Leth-Steensen Open the ORCID record for Craig Leth-Steensen [Opens in a new window]
Nicolas Laham
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
Craig Leth-Steensen*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
*
*Corresponding author. Email: craig.lethsteensen@cmail.carleton.ca
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Abstract

The task of finding a case type that, on average, enhances the processing of verbal material has yielded mixed results in the literature. This study tackled this issue with an eye to the issue of processing textual information on road signs and the additional consideration of readers’ attentive states. Participants (n = 104) completed three experiments, the first two of which made use of both short (i.e., attentive state) and long (i.e., nonattentive or mind-wandering state) inter-trial intervals (ITIs). Experiment I consisted of a living versus non-living category-decision task involving the presentation of single words. Experiment II consisted of a sensical versus nonsensical sentence-judgment task. Experiment III consisted of a recognition memory task for words presented during the category-decision task. No significant difference in letter-case-type effectiveness was found for either the semantic categorization of or memory for single words. On the other hand, sensical sentences were correctly judged more quickly in lower case (or, more precisely, sentence case with the first letter of the first word capitalized). Such results point to either a more fluent processing of or enhanced conceptual resonance for sentences presented in lower case.

Keywords

letter casemind wanderingsemantic classificationsentence processingmemory
Type
Article
Information
Language and Cognition , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , January 2023 , pp. 106 - 130
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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