Do null phonemic masking effects reflect strategic control of phonology?

Verstaen, Humphreys, Olson and D'Ydewalle (1995) Journal of Memory and Language, 34, 335–356] reported null phonemic masking effectswith homophone targets under conditionsdiscouraging reliance on phonology. Theyattributed these null effects to the absence ofreliance on phonology, concluding that relianceon phonology may be strategically controlled. Two studies using Verstaen et al.'s methodoccasionally replicate these null phonemicmasking effects, but challenge theirinterpretation. The emergence of null phonemicmasking effects was unrelated to the strategymanipulation. Conversely, evidence forphonology emerged in homophone errorsregardless of the strategy manipulation anddespite null phonemic masking effects. Ourfindings reflect an inherent instability in theperception of homophones. We demonstrate thatthis instability is directly due to reliance onphonology, rather than to its control.