Research Article

Association between Statistical Learning and Morphosyntactic Processing in Turkish: A Self-Paced Reading Experiment

Volume: 46 Number: 1 April 20, 2026
TR EN

Association between Statistical Learning and Morphosyntactic Processing in Turkish: A Self-Paced Reading Experiment

Abstract

Previous research has shown that statistical learning (SL) abilities correlate with language abilities. This study investigated the modality specificity of SL, its independence from other general cognitive abilities, its effect on reading comprehension, and its interaction with morphosyntactic processing. Fifty adults participated in a self-paced reading experiment and several cognitive tests. The self-paced reading experiment included Turkish sentences varying in morphosyntactic complexity (active canonical, active scrambled, and passive sentences). Also, auditory and visual SL tests with familiarization and test phases were developed employing triplets of auditory (synthesized syllables) and visual (alien pictures) stimuli with higher transitional probability within than between triplets. The participants’ short-term/working memory abilities and nonverbal intelligence scores were also measured using forward/backward digit span tests and Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices, respectively. The results revealed similar learning rates and no significant correlation between auditory and visual SL scores. In addition, no significant correlation was found between SL scores and non-verbal intelligence or short-term/working memory scores. Finally, linear mixed-effects models showed that both visual and auditory SL influenced morphosyntactic processing, although in different ways. The findings suggest that SL is modality-specific and largely independent of other general cognitive abilities. The findings also suggest that individuals with higher SL abilities may utilize probabilistic patterns of morphosyntactic information during sentence processing more efficiently than those with lower SL abilities. These results provide new evidence for the link between SL and language from a morphologically rich language. Overall, these findings reinforce the link between SL and language processing in general and morphosyntactic processing in particular and have implications for language interventions in clinical populations.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Vision Perception

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

April 20, 2026

Submission Date

January 12, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 17, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 46 Number: 1

APA
Bulut, T., & Günhan Şenol, N. E. (2026). Association between Statistical Learning and Morphosyntactic Processing in Turkish: A Self-Paced Reading Experiment. Studies in Psychology, 46(1), 39-64. https://doi.org/10.26650/SP2023-1618172
AMA
1.Bulut T, Günhan Şenol NE. Association between Statistical Learning and Morphosyntactic Processing in Turkish: A Self-Paced Reading Experiment. Studies in Psychology. 2026;46(1):39-64. doi:10.26650/SP2023-1618172
Chicago
Bulut, Talat, and Nazmiye Evra Günhan Şenol. 2026. “Association Between Statistical Learning and Morphosyntactic Processing in Turkish: A Self-Paced Reading Experiment”. Studies in Psychology 46 (1): 39-64. https://doi.org/10.26650/SP2023-1618172.
EndNote
Bulut T, Günhan Şenol NE (April 1, 2026) Association between Statistical Learning and Morphosyntactic Processing in Turkish: A Self-Paced Reading Experiment. Studies in Psychology 46 1 39–64.
IEEE
[1]T. Bulut and N. E. Günhan Şenol, “Association between Statistical Learning and Morphosyntactic Processing in Turkish: A Self-Paced Reading Experiment”, Studies in Psychology, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 39–64, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.26650/SP2023-1618172.
ISNAD
Bulut, Talat - Günhan Şenol, Nazmiye Evra. “Association Between Statistical Learning and Morphosyntactic Processing in Turkish: A Self-Paced Reading Experiment”. Studies in Psychology 46/1 (April 1, 2026): 39-64. https://doi.org/10.26650/SP2023-1618172.
JAMA
1.Bulut T, Günhan Şenol NE. Association between Statistical Learning and Morphosyntactic Processing in Turkish: A Self-Paced Reading Experiment. Studies in Psychology. 2026;46:39–64.
MLA
Bulut, Talat, and Nazmiye Evra Günhan Şenol. “Association Between Statistical Learning and Morphosyntactic Processing in Turkish: A Self-Paced Reading Experiment”. Studies in Psychology, vol. 46, no. 1, Apr. 2026, pp. 39-64, doi:10.26650/SP2023-1618172.
Vancouver
1.Talat Bulut, Nazmiye Evra Günhan Şenol. Association between Statistical Learning and Morphosyntactic Processing in Turkish: A Self-Paced Reading Experiment. Studies in Psychology. 2026 Apr. 1;46(1):39-64. doi:10.26650/SP2023-1618172