Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
09:27
Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language
Published on: October 13, 2018
Re-evaluating split-fovea processing in word recognition: effects of fixation location within words
Timothy R Jordan1, Kevin B Paterson, Stoyan Kurtev
1School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, UK. prof.timjordan@leicester.ac.uk
Summary
Word recognition is influenced by where you look, but not by the brain's split-hemisphere processing theory. Optimal word recognition occurs with central fixation, not critical dependence on precise fixation points.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- The "split-fovea" theory posits that word recognition depends on fixation location due to hemispheric processing.
- This theory suggests different brain hemispheres process letters to the left and right of fixation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of precise fixation location on word recognition.
- To test the "split-fovea" theory's prediction of hemispheric processing at the fixation point.
Main Methods:
- Lexical decision tasks with 5-letter words and nonwords were used.
- An eye-tracker controlled fixation location (1-6) for stimuli within foveal vision.
- Performance was measured at different fixation points relative to the word.
Main Results:
- Word recognition was poorest when words were entirely to the left or right of fixation (locations 1 and 6).
- Performance improved with fixation closer to the word's center (locations 2-5).
- No evidence supported the "split-fovea" theory's predictions regarding hemispheric processing.
Conclusions:
- Fixation location affects word recognition performance.
- Word recognition is not critically dependent on the precise fixation point.
- The "split-fovea" theory's explanation of hemispheric processing at fixation is not supported by these findings.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
01:03Fixation and Sectioning
Two basic types of preparation are used to visualize specimens with a light microscope: wet mounts and fixed specimens.
The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added...
The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added...
01:20Anatomy of the Eyeball
The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle layer, the vascular tunic,...