On the function of letters in word identification: Some data and a preliminary model

Abstract

A model of word perception was presented which assumes that words are processed as single-unit patterns and that individual letters are not identified prior to word identification. Three experiments are reported which demonstrate that subjects can identify a word faster than a letter within a word, but that words and single letters in isolation are identified equally fast. In addition, word identification time was unrelated to word length. The model was then elaborated to reconcile these results with those typically obtained using tachistoscopic threshold procedures.