Individual differences in the auditory processing of morpho-phonological and semantic cues

ABSTRACT Morpho-phonological patterns and semantic density influence the processing of spoken complex words and contribute to the dissociation between regularly and irregularly inflected forms. However, it is unclear whether all listeners rely on morpho-phonological and semantic cues to the same degree. The present paper examines whether a listener’s cognitive profile, indicated by processing efficiency, affects the processing strategy employed when listening to morphologically complex words. Two auditory judgement experiments demonstrate that slower responders rely more strongly on semantic processing than faster responders, but all listeners show morpho-phonological effects regardless of processing speed and form effects. This demonstrates that morpho-phonological processing is automatic for all listeners, but processing efficiency determines whether additional semantic cues are engaged. The results highlight the importance of integrating cognitive variability into current models of complex word processing.