Speaker: Jana Hasenäcker, University of Erfurt

Title: More than one: Insights into polysyllabic and multimorphemic word reading

Abstract: Most empirical research on reading, as well as computational modeling work, centers on monomorphemic and monosyllabic words. However, the majority of words we encounter in real-world reading are longer and more complex, and it is in these words where the real challenges for readers lie. This talk presents an overview of my research from recent years exploring the cognitive mechanisms underlying the reading of polysyllabic and multimorphemic words. Key findings from behavioral and eye-tracking experiments reveal how both skilled and developing readers process these complex words, providing novel insights into orthographic, semantic, morphological, and prosodic influences on word recognition.

Short bio

Dr. Jana Hasenäcker is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Erfurt, Germany. Her research focuses on the use of functional units (graphemes, bigrams, syllables, morphemes) and statistical regularities in reading and its acquisition. During her PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Berlin, Germany), she investigated the developmental trajectory of morphemes as reading units in German across elementary schools. In her subsequent postdoc at the International School for Advanced Studies (Trieste, Italy), she explored form-meaning regularities beyond morphological relationships in Italian beginning and skilled readers. In her more recent research, she also explores the role of prosodic features in visual word recognition.

Social media handles

X: @JanaHasenacker

Mastodon: @JanaHasenacker@mstdn.social

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