Lexeme Meaning Dominance Instructions

English Compound Word Database1

Appendix

Instructions used for four of the ratings that have not been previously published.

LEXEME MEANING DOMINANCE INSTRUCTIONS

Thank you for participating in this experiment today. Compound words are single words that are made up by two shorter words (e.g. dollhouse). In this questionnaire you are asked to rate compound words on the extent to which the meaning of the whole word is more closely related to the first constituent word (e.g. doll) or more to the second constituent word (e.g. house).

You should rate how related the two constituent words are to the overall meaning of the entire compound word on a 0 to 10 scale. 0= the meaning of the entire compound word is strictly related to the first word only. 10= the meaning of the entire compound is strictly related to the second word only. Please try to use the whole 0-10 scale (so use 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, and 10 in your answers if possible).

For example, the compound word hopscotch is a game involving a series of hops but has nothing to do with scotch. Since only the first word in the compound relates to the meaning of the entire compound word, this compound should receive a low rating on the 0-10 scale (e.g. a 0 or 1).

On the other hand, the compound word strawberry is a type of berry but is not related to a straw in any way. Since only the second word in the compound is related to the meaning of the entire compound word, this compound should receive a high rating on the 0-10 scale (e.g. a 9 or 10).

Furthermore, the compound word dollhouse means a house that is made for dolls.Since both words in the compound are related to the meaning of the entire compound word, this compound should receive a rating in the middle of the 0-10 scale.

Please provide a rating for each compound word. However, if you do not know the meaning of the compound word, you can leave it blank. Write the rating in the column next to the compound word. Please write clearly. If you have any questions, please ask the experimenter. Thank you.

SEMANTIC TRANSPARENCY INSTRUCTIONS

Thank you for participating in this experiment today. Compound words are single words that are made up by two shorter words (e.g. dollhouse). In this questionnaire you are asked to rate compound words on how transparently related the meanings of the two words are to the meaning of the entire compound word.

You should rate how related the two words are to the overall meaning of the entire compound word on a 1 to 7 scale. 1 = the two words are not related at all to the meaning of the entire compound word. 7 = the words are both completely related to the meaning of the entire compound word. ”. Please try to use the whole 1-7 scale (so use 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7 in your answers if possible).

For example, the compound word dollhouse means a house that is made for dolls. Since both words in the compound are related to the meaning of the entire compound word, this compound should receive a high rating on the 1 to 7 scale (e.g. a 6 or a 7).

On the other hand, the compound word pineapple is a type of fruit, but is not an apple and is not related to pines in any way, so this compound should receive a low rating on the 1 to 7 scale (e.g. a 1 or a 2).

If you think that one of the words in the compound is related to the meaning of entire compound expression, please give it a rating in the middle of the 1 to 7 scale.

FAMILIARITY QUESTIONNAIRE INSTRUCTIONS

Thank you for coming in today and participating in our study. Today you will be asked to make judgments about a series of words that are presented below. Your task is straightforward. Read each item below and rate the item on a scale from 1 to 7 indicating how familiar it is for you.

To give you a sense of what we mean by familiarity, here are a few examples:

If the item is very familiar give the item a rating of 7. If you feel you know the meaning of the word and use it frequently, then give it a high rating on this scale. For example, Jim has known the word ball since he was a child, uses the word frequently and if asked could easily tell anyone what a ball is and should hence give this a very high rating.

If the item is not familiar at all, you do not know the meaning of the item, and you are not sure whether the item is a word or not, then give the item a rating of 1. For example, Jim had never encountered the word xylem and has no sense for whether it is a word or not let alone know the meaning of xylem and should give this a very low rating.

If the item falls somewhere in the middle of these two extremes where you have some familiarity with the word then give it a rating in the middle of the scale.

Good Luck and thanks in advance for your time. If you have any questions please contact the experimenter now.

AGE OF ACQUISITION INSTRUCTIONS

In this experiment you will be asked to provide a rating of when you first learned a certain word. We need your estimate of when in your life you probably first learned each of a series of words, that is, first learned the word and its meaning either in spoken or written form.

You should rate the words from 1 to 7.

A rating of 1 means that you learned the word between 0 and 2 years of age.

A rating of 2 means that you learned the word between 2 and 4 years of age.

A rating of 3 means that you learned the word between 4 and 6 years of age.

A rating of 4 means that you learned the word between 6 and 8 years of age.

A rating of 5 means that you learned the word between 8 and 10 years of age.

A rating of 6 means that you learned the word between 10 and 12 years of age.

A rating of 7 means that you learned the word when you were 13 or older.

You should use the whole scale while making your ratings.

Write the number you choose in the space provided next to the word. Please write as clearly as possible. You have been provided with a sheet of paper that has the scale on it. Please put this scale where you can see it, and refer to it during the rating.

It is very important that you provide a rating of every word on the questionnaire. There is no “right” or “wrong” answer in the experiment. Rate the items based on your experience with the individual words. You should pay attention to what you are doing and take your time.

After you are done with the questionnaire, please move on to the next one.

Thank you for participating!!