A QUANTITATIVE MULTIPLE-LEVELS MODEL OF READING ALOUD

A new computational model of reading aloud is described that gives a detailed quantitative account of response latency and accuracy in word naming studies. The model implements a simple multiple-levels system (T. Shallice, E. K. Warrington, and R. McCarthy, 1983) in which different levels of spelling-to-sound correspondence (e.g., phoneme, rime, word) are combined in an interactive-activation network to produce a final pronunciation of the input. Naming latency is modeled as a function of the number of network cycles required to exceed the response criteria. The model's parameters are set by fitting the model to 2 sets of data. The model then makes accurate predictions of response time and error rates in studies of word frequency, regularity, and consistency. Depending on one's perspective, the model can equally well be viewed as a dual-route theory, a single-route theory, or an analogy theory.