Lexical and sub-lexical factors in visual word recognition:
A range of studies in our lab are devoted to understanding the processes and mechanisms involved in the recognition of printed words both in skilled (adults) and developing readers (children) with or without language impairments (e.g., Developmental Dyslexia). Although skilled readers can recognize words with outstanding efficiency, the processes that map orthography onto phonology and semantics are extremely complex. Several projects are included in this line of research, such as exploring the role of letter features, letter status (consonants vs. vowels), lexical (e.g., contextual diversity) and sublexical (e.g., syllables, morphemes) units in visual word processing , and the impact of individual differences (e.g., personality) and emotion at early stages of visual word recognition. We are also interested in conducting studies aimed to test the role of learning mechanisms in artificial language acquisition in children with and without language impairments (Developmental Dyslexia and Specific Language Impairment).
Bilingual word representation and processing:
Our research in this field aims at examining the organization and processing of the bilingual lexicon and how it changes throughout the lifespan as a function of the level of proficiency in a second language. Specifically, we are interested in contributing to the development of more integrative models of bilingual visual word recognition that can account for the orthographic, phonological and semantic levels of representations and processing of different words types (e.g., cognates, false friends). We are also interested in studying the mechanisms that operate during the acquisition of those words both in adults and children, and how bilinguals and multilinguals juggle different languages in their minds without any apparent difficulty.
Sentence processing and resolution of syntactic ambiguities:
In this research area we aim to analyze the factors that affect language processing beyond the word. Indeed, although word recognition is an important aspect of reading, in order to comprehend what is being read, other cognitive processes must take place. Sentence comprehension involves combining words to form bigger units (e.g., phrases, sentences) and establishing functional relationships between them to extract meaning. Studies in this area focus on exploring the lexical and non-lexical factors (e.g., animacy, emotional content of the constituents) that affect syntactic processing both in monolinguals and bilinguals, whose languages yield different syntactic strategies. We are also interested in conducting studies aimed to analyze whether the effects observed in laboratory settings can be extended to spontaneous language production contexts.
Tip-of-the-Tongue and written production:
This research topic aims at investigating certain language production phenomena, namely how individuals retrieve linguistic information about a familiar word from their mental lexicon, and determining the lexical and non-lexical factors (e.g., phonological information, emotionality) that can help them recover from aTip-Of-the-Tongue (TOT) state. We are also interested in conducting studies aimed at analyzing the factors that can affect written production, namely in exploring how individual differences (e.g., personality) and emotion affect handwriting performance (e.g., bursts, pauses).
Development of Lexical Databases/normative studies:
This area includes a wide range of studies aimed at developing lexical bases and normative studies for European Portuguese to support the conduction of well-controlled and well-designed studies in all other research areas. Indeed, since words constitute the raw materials from which a large amount of research is conducted, and additionally, because they are extremely complex stimuli with multiple levels of analysis, research today is no longer compatible with the absence of such tools. Several databases/normative studies have already been developed, such as Procura-PALavras (P-PAL), SUBTLEX-PT, ESCOLEX, ANEW-PT or MWP, along with others still in progress (e.g., PHOR-in-One, PLP, MORFOlex).
