title: Role of syllable segmentation processes in peripheral word recognition.
abstract: Previous studies of foveal visual word recognition provide evidence for a low-level syllable decomposition mechanism occurring during the recognition of a word. We investigated if such a decomposition mechanism also exists in peripheral word recognition. Single words were visually presented to subjects in the peripheral field using a 6° square gaze-contingent simulated central scotoma. In the first experiment, words were either unicolor or had their adjacent syllables segmented with two different colors (color/syllable congruent condition). Reaction times for correct word identification were measured for the two different conditions and for two different print sizes. Results show a significant decrease in reaction time for the color/syllable congruent condition compared with the unicolor condition. A second experiment suggests that this effect is specific to syllable decomposition and results from strategic, presumably involving attentional factors, rather than stimulus-driven control.
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France. jean-baptiste.bernard@univ-amu.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Baptiste
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calabrèse
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time; D011932:Reading; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012607:Scotoma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult