Iconic store readout of mildly mentally retarded and nonretarded individuals

Mildly retarded and nonretarded subjects matched for MA and CA were required to report tachistoscopically presented linear arrays of letters differing with respect to the number of letters per array. On some trials a visual mask appeared coincidentally with or at variable intervals following the onset of the letter array. By varying information load and stimulus onset synchrony and by including a no-mask condition, it was possible to assess the iconic store readout for each of the three groups. Results revealed that the mask was influential in disrupting the sensory store readout for all groups and that the low-MA subjects demonstrated a slower sensory store readout relative to the equal-CA group. The retarded subjects demonstrated the slowest sensory store readout.