Reicher (1969): Word Superiority Effect

1. Reicher (1969): Word Superiority Effect Dr. Timothy Bender Psychology Department Missouri State University Springfield, MO 65897

2. Reicher (1969) explored whether or not we use parallel processing in the visual sensory memory. His participants were to identify a single letter that appeared in one of four possible locations. The letter appeared either alone, in a four-letter word, or in a four-letter nonword. All of the stimuli were masked, making it difficult to identify them.

3. If we process the letters in a word in a serial fashion (one letter at a time), it should be more difficult to identify a letter in a word than that letter by itself. If we process the letters in a word in parallel (all of the letters at once), it should be just as easy to identify a letter in a word as it is to identify that letter by itself. The nonword condition allowed Reicher to see if there was something unique about processing a letter in a word vs. that letter in a mixed group of letters.

4. The results strongly support the idea that we engage in parallel processing in iconic memory. However, Reicher (1969) is most often cited for an additional interesting result which we will discuss after the demonstration.

5. In this demonstration, you will see a series of 24 stimuli. The stimuli will be either a four-letter word, the same four letters in a mixed order, or a single letter. The single letter will appear in any of the four letter positions from the word condition. The stimulus will appear for about 66 milliseconds and will be followed immediately by a pattern of lines. Along with the pattern mask you will see a choice of two letters above one of the four letter positions. Your task is to choose which of the two letters appeared in that location in the original stimulus.

6. The following is an example of a stimulus from the word condition. A + will appear first near the center of the screen, then the stimulus and mask will occur.

8. Which letter?

9. The following is an example of a stimulus from the nonword condition. A + will appear first near the center of the screen, then the stimulus and mask will occur.

11. Which letter?

12. The following is an example of a stimulus from the letter condition. A + will appear first near the center of the screen, then the stimulus and mask will occur.

14. Which letter?

15. The first stimulus will appear on the next slide. You will need a response sheet with the numbers 1 - 24 listed in a column. For each stimulus, please choose one of the two letter choices, even if you think it is just a guess. Give it your best guess.

17. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

19. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

21. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

23. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

25. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

27. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

29. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

31. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

33. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

35. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

37. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

39. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

41. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

43. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

45. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

47. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.

49. Which letter? The next screen is the next stimulus.