Visual word encoding and the effect of adult age and word frequency

Abstract

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses word encoding, which is the first step in the process of reading and discusses the effect of increased adult age on visual word encoding. It means that the transduction of light information from a word stimulus into a code is then used for lexical access. This specialized form of pattern perception involves both the formation of an input code and lexical access. To address this issue of age differences in visual word encoding, the chapter reviews the literature on the basic word encoding (both the transduction and the lexical access components). After developing a general framework with which to conceptualize the processes of word encoding, the theories of aging with regard to visual word recognition are reviewed. The aging literature on visual word recognition and word frequency are also reviewed and integrated with general theories of word recognition and cognitive aging. The chapter provides a relatively in depth review of the basic literature in visual word encoding and lexical access.