Information underload: Recognition of slowly-presented alphabetic characters

Abstract

The accuracy of identification of alphabetic letters was examined under three experimental procedures: slowly plotting all of the dots associated with a given display of letters in their correct spatial positions, but in a random temporal order; rapidly plotting one half of the dots associated with a display, and after a variable delay, rapidly plotting the other half of the dots; and rapidly plotting only a fraction of the total number of dots associated with the display. The accuracy of identification suffers as the rate of plotting is decreased and as the interval between the successive fields is increased. Therefore, a failure of spatial-temporal integration is inferred. The results of the separate procedures are partially consistent with an interpretation of a discrete, non-synchronized perceptual moment of 120-150 msec duration, assuming no accumulation of information across successive moments.