Alphabetic letter identification: Effects of perceivability, similarity, and bias
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-2012
Department
Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences
Abstract
The legibility of the letters in the Latin alphabet has been measured numerous times since the beginning of experimental psychology. To identify the theoretical mechanisms attributed to letter identification, we report a comprehensive review of literature, spanning more than a century. This review revealed that identification accuracy has frequently been attributed to a subset of three common sources: perceivability, bias, and similarity. However, simultaneous estimates of these values have rarely (if ever) been performed. We present the results of two new experiments which allow for the simultaneous estimation of these factors, and examine how the shape of a visual mask impacts each of them, as inferred through a new statistical model. Results showed that the shape and identity of the mask impacted the inferred perceivability, bias, and similarity space of a letter set, but that there were aspects of similarity that were robust to the choice of mask. The results illustrate how the psychological concepts of perceivability, bias, and similarity can be estimated simultaneously, and how each make powerful contributions to visual letter identification.
Publication Title
Acta Psychologica
Recommended Citation
Mueller, S.,
&
Weidemann, C.
(2012).
Alphabetic letter identification: Effects of perceivability, similarity, and bias.
Acta Psychologica,
139(1), 19-37.
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2011.09.014
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/5900