FOVEAL-TO-PERIPHERAL PRIMING IN LETTER IDENTIFICATION REFLECTS RESPONSE BIAS, NOT ENHANCED VISIBILITY

Several studies have suggested that it might be easier to identify a l etter when its replication is simultaneously presented in the visual d isplay. We have measured identification accuracy for a memorized targe t letter that was shown in the peripheral field in two conditions in w hich a letter either identical or different in shape was flashed simul taneously at fixation. The results of three forced-choice experiments showed that, contrary to Geiger and Lettvin's (1986) previous findings , an identity prime did not improve the visibility of a temporally bac kward ard masked target letter. However, the foveal prime letter could apparently bias the subject's decision so that he/she was much more r eady to report the more visible prime letter as the peripheral target.