Understanding the relationship between word and number processing

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The long-term goal of my research program is to understand how visually presented words are processed. Recent research has lead me to believe that a complete understanding of word reading can only be achieved by understanding how it is related to other well practiced skills such as number processing. Therefore, the medium-term goal of my research program is to understand how word and number processing are related. Much of the cognitive research comparing number and word processing has compared Arabic digits (e.g., `4') and number words (e.g., `four') and has primarily examined semantic effects (e.g., Reynvoet & Brysbaert, 2004). The outcomes of these studies converge on the conclusion that Arabic digits and number words are processed similarly (Herrera & Macizo, 2011). However, this is a far from exhaustive examination of how word and number processing is related. Recent work with brain injured patients suggests more research needs to be done examining non-semantic processes (Dotan & Friedmann, 2018; 2019). Consequently, the short-term goals of the present research are to (1) assess whether word and number processing are performed by shared, domain-general mechanisms and/or highly specialized, domain specific mechanisms and (2) assess to what extent domain specific mechanisms operate according to common principles. Three different approaches will be used to reach these short-term objectives. The first approach will use a modified version of the task switching paradigm to assess whether a single configuration of the processing system can be used for both numbers and words when performing a single task. A series of experiments assessing whether the same processes are used during reading aloud are described. These studies are designed to discriminate between different theories of how Arabic digits, number words and non-number words are encoded. The second approach will use masked form priming (e.g., Forster & Davis, 1991) to assess whether the processes involved in encoding numbers and words operate according to similar principles. Studies are described that assess whether the same orthographic and phonological lexical mechanisms support the processing of Arabic digits, number words and non-number words. These experiments are designed to discriminate between leading theories of how orthographic- and phonological- lexical representations of digits, number words and non-number words are stored. The third approach will use the Psychological Refractory Period (PRP) paradigm (e.g., Pasher, 1994) to examine whether numbers and words make the same demands on processing resources. Studies are described that examine whether semantic activation for Arabic digits, number words and non-number words require processing capacity to activate semantic representations. These studies are designed to test claims of automatic processing that are ubiquitous in theories of numerical cognition and single word reading (Augustinova & Ferrand, 2014).