Barbara J. Juahsz, Ph.D., Wesleyan University

Words learned earlier in life are processed faster into adulthood compared to words learned later in life. This age-of-acquisition (AoA) effect persists even when factors such as word frequency and word familiarity are controlled for. One possible reason for this AoA effect may be due to the organization of semantic representations in readers' mental dictionaries. Experiments will be reported which examined AoA's effect on semantic organization using different methodologies. A new word recognition variable (Sensory Experience Ratings - SER) will also be introduced.