Temporal anagrams: Word identification with successively presented letters in scrambled order

Abstract

High-frequency seven-letter words were displayed letter by letter in scrambled temporal orders upon an oscilloscope. After each incorrect identification, the sequence was repeated. Highest word-identification scores were obtained with initial and terminal starting positions, with shortest and longest spacingbetween successive letters, and at the slowest and fastest rates of letter presentation. The relative contribution of each variable was maintained in combination with other variables. The conditional probability of a correct word identification, given that the word was not identified on a previous presentation, plunges sharply with successive presentations. This apparent nonindependence of performance over successive presentations is, however, shown to be an artifact of pooling the results of heterogeneous experimental variables.