Orthography influences the perception and production of speech

One intriguing question in language research concerns the extent to which orthographic information impacts on spoken word processing. Previous research has faced a number of methodological difficulties and has not reached a definitive conclusion. Our research addresses these difficulties by capitalizing on recent developments in the area of word learning. Participants were trained to criterion on a set of associations between novel pictures and novel spoken words. Spelling-sound consistent or spelling-sound inconsistent spellings were introduced on the 2nd day, and the influence of these spellings on speech processing was assessed on the 3rd day. Results showed significant orthographic effects on speech perception and speech production in a situation in which spelling-sound consistency was manipulated with perfect experimental control. Results are discussed in terms of a highly interactive language system in which there is a rapid and automatic flow of activation in both directions between orthographic and phonological representations.     

Workplace Integrity: Differences in Perceptions of Behaviors and Situational Factors

Pre-employment integrity tests assume differences between honest and dishonest individuals in their perceptions of the degree of dishonesty of given behaviors. This exploratory study investigated whether individuals classified as dishonest by an overt integrity test had different perceptions of the honesty of behaviors than those classified as honest. Differences in perceptions of situational factors promoting or deterring honesty were also examined. Dishonest individuals had different perceptions of behaviors and situations than honest individuals, suggesting that the relative influence of situational interventions may vary with the general integrity of a workforce.