ONLINE PSYCHOLINGUISTIC METHODS: THE MAZE TASK

Abstract

Many researches in the field of psycholinguistics and other sub-areas of linguistics involve analysis of reaction time (RT) of human beings when reading certain linguistic structures. These RTs are used as indicative of the difficulty of processing different linguistic units. To collect this type of information, two methods are widely used: eye tracking (Rayner) and self-paced reading (Mitchel (a)). However, the data obtained by these methods may contain noise that makes the analysis of the results more complex. In this paper, we will present another option of an experimental reading method that seems to mitigate these noises: the maze task (Forster; et al.). Proponents of this experimental technique argue that the data it generates is less noisy because it inhibits spill-over effects, reduces the possibilities of reading strategies and requires a high level of attention from the participants. Thus, the data is found in the expected region and comprehension questions are not necessary. We describe in this article some of the first studies that used this technique. The results of these studies corroborate its methodological potential, since they demonstrate that the task generated localized data that converged with processing effects previously observed in the literature.