SPATIAL-FREQUENCY MASKING OF LATERALIZED WORD RECOGNITION

Lateralized words varying in size were postexposurally masked using ch eckerboards of 2, 4, or 8 cycles per degree. In errors, main effects w ere found for size, visual field, and spatial frequency. Although the expected right visual field advantage in recognition was found, and th e differential effectiveness of the spatial-frequency masks was suppor ted, there was no visual field x frequency interaction. In reaction ti me, a size x visual field interaction was found, but it was opposite t o the effect typically claimed for size as an input variable. It is co ncluded that views of hemispheric differences that stress process type are likely to have more explanatory value than those stressing spatia l frequency.