Early, equivalent ERP masked priming effects for regular and irregular morphology

Converging evidence from behavioral masked priming (Rastle & Davis, 2008), EEG masked priming (Morris, Frank, Grainger, & Holcomb, 2007) and single word MEG (Zweig & Pylkkänen, 2008) experiments has provided robust support for a model of lexical processing which includes an early, automatic, visual word form based stage of morphological parsing that applies to all derivationally affixed words. The mechanisms by which regularly (walked, birds) and irregularly (gave, geese) inflected forms are processed are less well established. We combine the masked priming paradigm with EEG recording to directly compare the ERPs evoked by regularly and irregularly inflected forms. We find equivalent N250 priming effects for both types of morphological complexity, which argues for rapid, form based morphological parsing of all morphologically complex word forms.

► We combined the masked priming technique with EEG recording to compare regular and irregular allomorph priming.
► Both prime types evoke significant, equivalent early priming responses, but irregulars are associated with less RT priming.
► Evidence supporting early, form-based morphological analysis model for both regulars and irregulars.