Lapses of concentration and dyslexic performance on the Ternus task
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 7, 2026

Evaluating Tests of Cognition using a Computerized Touch-Sensitive Tablet, Eye Tracking, and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: January 30, 2026
C Davis1, A Castles, K McAnally
1The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. cwd@unimelb.edu.au
Abstract:
Recently, Cestnick and Coltheart (Cognition 71 (1999) 231) have reported evidence of abnormal performance on the Ternus apparent motion task in dyslexics. We demonstrate that some aspects of their data may be accounted for by more frequent lapses of concentration in the dyslexic group than in controls. We then report on a study in which a modification of the Ternus procedure was employed to simplify the task and to control for the effects of inattention. The results suggest that dyslexics do genuinely differ from normal readers in their perceptual processing.
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