A COMPARISON OF WORD RECOGNITION AND READING PERFORMANCE IN FOVEAL AND PERIPHERAL-VISION

Word recognition thresholds and rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP ) reading rates for both unrelated words and meaningful sentences were examined across the visual field, Both word recognition thresholds an d RSVP reading rates for unrelated words can be equated across the vis ual field by an increase in size scale, RSVP reading rates for meaning ful sentences cannot be equated across the visual field, with the fove a demonstrating a qualitative superiority over the periphery, irrespec tive of scale, The results suggest that the early visual machinery whi ch underlies word recognition is the same across the visual field apar t from a change in scale, whilst the periphery is qualitatively inferi or to the fovea at interpreting sentences with meaning. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.