Letters, not words, are processed holistically.
Observers cannot accurately discriminate the top halves of two sequentially presented three-letter words. One interpretation of this effect is that words, like faces, are processed holistically. Here we show, in three simple experiments, that this phenomenon is more consistent with the hypothesis that letters, not words, are processed holistically.
Wilson
Kevin D
KD
Department of Psychology, 300 N. Washington Street, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA. kwilson@gettysburg.edu
Taylor
James M
JM
D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014825:Vocabulary