Lexikonhozzáférés

Lexikonhozzáférés refers to the cognitive process of retrieving words from the mental lexicon during language processing. It underpins spoken word recognition, listening comprehension, reading, and production, and its efficiency is influenced by factors such as word frequency, phonological and orthographic similarity to other words, and the surrounding context.

Several influential models have sought to explain how lexical access operates. The cohort model, developed for spoken word recognition, proposes that a set of candidate words is activated by unfolding speech and gradually narrowed as more information becomes available. The TRACE model presents a highly interactive network in which phonological, orthographic, and lexical levels activate in parallel and compete until a single entry dominates. The logogen model posits detectors that accumulate evidence over time and trigger recognition when activation crosses a threshold. In reading and production, connectionist or parallel distributed processing approaches simulate lexical access as distributed patterns of activation across networks, with learning adjusting the strength of connections.

Key factors shaping lexical access include word frequency (high-frequency items are generally accessed more quickly), neighborhood density (similar-sounding or similar-looking words can facilitate or interfere with recognition), and contextual priming. Bilinguals often show cross-language activation, indicating shared or interconnected lexical representations. Empirical evidence comes from reaction-time studies, lexical decision tasks, priming paradigms, and neural measures such as ERP components (notably the N400) and neuroimaging, which reveal rapid and automatic aspects of lexical retrieval and semantic integration.

Neurocognitive substrates of lexical access are linked to left-hemispheric language areas, including the temporal and inferior frontal regions. Impairments in lexical access occur in aphasia and related disorders, informing clinical approaches to rehabilitation and assessment.