Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
06:48
Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: June 25, 2019
Recognition units in reading: backward masking experiments
1University of Reading, UK. alan.allport@psy.ox.ac.uk
Spatial Vision
|November 7, 2009
Summary
Information acquisition from visual displays depends on encoding words into names, not just visual features. This study used backward masking to measure word identification speed and found words are processed as whole units.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Experimental Psychology
- Psycholinguistics
Background:
- Understanding the speed of visual information processing is crucial in cognitive psychology.
- Backward masking is a technique used to study visual perception and information processing limits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure the rate of information acquisition from visual displays using backward masking.
- To investigate the units of processing for visually presented words.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted using Sperling's method of backward masking.
- The rate of acquisition of information from letter and word arrays was measured.
- Word identification latency was assessed under various conditions.
Main Results:
- Information acquisition rate is determined by the number of names words are encoded into, not visual features or letter count.
- Restricting letter ensemble size did not affect acquisition rate.
- Word identification time was consistent for words of varying lengths and syllables, suggesting whole-word processing.
Conclusions:
- Backward masking provides a direct measure of word identification latency.
- Visually presented words are processed as complete units, with no intermediate representation stage smaller than a word.
- Initial word representation is in an abstract lexical code, independent of visual or motor attributes.
