At the speed of a verb. Pseudo-verbs elicit shorter reaction times than pseudo-nouns in rigorous LTD experiments

Verbs, as the conventional linguistic category for expressing action and motion, inherently possess dynamic properties that are not typically found in other categories (e.g., nouns). The central aim of this research was to determine whether the posited association between verbs (vs. nouns) and action is discernible through distinct reaction times in a methodologically robust Lexical Decision Task (LDT). To explore behavioral responses to verbs compared to nouns, we employed a pseudoword paradigm in which we carefully crafted lexical stimuli devoid of semantic meaning, yet distinctly indicating grammatical class through suffixes. In two LDT experiments (N1= 92, N2= 95), we consistently observed shorter reaction times for pseudoverbs than for pseudonouns, indicating that grammar exerts meta-semantic effects on behavior.