Non-word writing does not require the phonological output buffer: Neuropsychological evidence for a direct phonological-orthographic route

Naama Friedmann*, Maya Yachini, Aviah Gvion, Lyndsey Nickels

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

What is the route that is used for writing non-words to dictation? Does it have to pass through phonological output? Two possibilities are found in the literature. In one, writing non-words requires access from the phonological input buffer to the phonological output buffer and from there, via phoneme-to-grapheme conversion, to the orthographic output buffer. The second approach maintains that writing non-words can proceed directly from the phonological input buffer to the orthographic output buffer. In this study, we discriminate between these two options using a cognitive neuropsychological approach. Specifically, we present a multiple case study of 24 individuals with a developmental impairment to the phonological output buffer, who nevertheless show unimpaired non-word writing. These data lead to the conclusion that the phonological output buffer is not necessary when writing non-words and that writing non-words to dictation can proceed directly from the phonological input buffer to the orthographic output buffer. We suggest that the cognitive assumption that non-word writing proceeds through the phonological output buffer may have resulted from graphic conventions and the depiction of the lexical processing model: in the common depiction of the model drawing a line through the phonological output buffer is visually simpler than a direct line (which would require lines to cross or long bypass lines).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)301-317
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Neuropsychology
Volume14
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jun 2020

Funding

FundersFunder number
Human Frontier Science ProgramRGP0057/2016
Australian Research CouncilFT120100102
Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australian Research CouncilCE110001021
Israel Science Foundation1066/14
Tel Aviv University

    Keywords

    • non-words
    • orthographic output buffer
    • phonological output buffer
    • spelling
    • writing to dictation

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