Strategic control in word reading: Evidence from speeded responding in thetempo-naming task

To investigate strategic control over response initiation in word reading, the authors introduce the tempo-naming task. Relative to baseline performan ce in the standard-naming task, participants were induced to respond with f aster latencies, shorter durations, and lower levels of accuracy by instruc ting them to time response initiation with an experimentally controlled tem po. The tempo response cue attenuated stimulus effects, and as faster tempo s reduced latencies, the number of spelling-sound errors remained constant, whereas the number of word, nonword, and articulatory errors increased. To explain these results, the authors propose input gain as a mechanism of co ntrol over processing speed. The experimenters sketch how input gain could account for the current results as well as for the results from stimulus-bl ocking experiments testing the route emphasis and time criterion hypotheses of strategic control.