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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: June 25, 2019

Interpreting chicken-scratch: lexical access for handwritten words.

Anthony S Barnhart¹, Stephen D Goldinger

¹Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1104, USA.

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance

|August 11, 2010

Summary

Handwritten word recognition relies more on top-down processing due to physical ambiguity. This study shows word perception adapts to handwriting by increasing top-down feedback.

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Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology

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Published on: June 29, 2021

Area of Science:

Psycholinguistics
Cognitive Psychology
Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

Handwritten word recognition is understudied in psychological literature.
Visual word recognition studies often use simplified synthetic typefaces, unlike spoken word studies using natural voices.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how handwriting impacts lexical variables affecting word recognition.
To compare the influence of handwritten versus computer-printed text on cognitive processing.

Main Methods:

Examined effects of handwriting on word frequency, regularity, bidirectional consistency, and imageability.
Compared processing of handwritten stimuli against computer-printed stimuli.

Main Results:

Physical ambiguity in handwriting magnifies effects of lexical variables.
Handwritten stimuli necessitate greater reliance on top-down processing compared to computer print.

Conclusions:

Word perception processes adapt to the inherent ambiguity of handwriting.
Top-down feedback mechanisms are enhanced to compensate for visual complexity in handwritten words.