Spatial attention in encoding letter combinations

Reading requires the correct identification of letters and letter positions within words. Selective attention is, therefore, required to select chunks of the text for sequential processing. Despite the extensive literature on visual attention, the well-known effects of spatial cues in simple perceptual tasks cannot inform us about the role of attention in a task as complex as reading. Here, we systematically manipulate spatial attention in a multi-letter processing task to understand the effects of spatial cues on letter encoding in typical adults. Overall, endogenous (voluntary) cue benefits were larger than exogenous (reflexive). We show that cue benefits are greater in the left than in the right visual field and larger for the most crowded letter positions. Endogenous valid cues reduced errors due to confusing letter positions more than misidentifications, specifically for the most crowded letter positions. Therefore, shifting endogenous attention along a line of text is likely an important mechanism to alleviate the effects of crowding on encoding letters within words. Our results help set the premise for constructing theories about how specific mechanisms of attention support reading development in children. Understanding the link between reading development and attention mechanisms has far-reaching implications for effectively addressing the needs of children with reading disabilities.

Co-occurrence statistics affect letter processing

Reading requires the successful encoding of letter identity and position within a visual display, a process that relies on both visual and linguistic resources. In a series of experiments, we investigate whether readers’ lifelong experience with letter co-occurrence regularities supports letter processing. Skilled readers were briefly exposed to strings of five consonants; critically, letters in position 2 and 4 were embedded in either high (B in MBL) or low (PBG) transitional probability (TP) triplets. When presented with two strings differing by the critical letter (e.g., MBLSD vs. MCLSD), participants correctly identified the right option more often in high-TP than low-TP contexts, regardless of position. Experiment II featured both a Same-Different and a Reicher-Wheeler task with response time constraints, and further qualified the contextual facilitation effect, with high-TP eliciting faster ‘same’ judgements only for letters in position 2. In a third experiment, context had no effect on Same-Different matchings with strings of pseudo-characters sharing letter low-level visual features. Our results indicate that co-occurrence statistics affect letter recognition in tasks that emphasize whole-string processing. This effect is genuinely orthographic, as it is conditional on intact letter identities, and with increasing task demands it only surfaces for letters close to word onset.

Spatial attention in encoding letter combinations

Reading requires the correct identification of letters and letter positions within words. Selectiveattention is, therefore, required to select chunks of the text for sequential processing. Despite theextensive literature on visual attention, the well known effects of spatial cues in simpleperceptual tasks cannot inform us about the role of attention in a task as complex as reading.Here, we systematically manipulate spatial attention in a multi-letter processing task tounderstand the effects of spatial cues on letter encoding in typical adults. Overall, endogenous(voluntary) cue benefits were larger than exogenous (involuntary). We show that cue benefitsare greater in the left than in the right visual field; and larger for the most crowded letterpositions. Endogenous valid cues reduced errors due to confusing letter positions more thanmisidentifications, specifically for the most crowded letter positions. Therefore, shiftingendogenous attention along a line of text is likely an important mechanism to alleviate theeffects of crowding on letters within words. Our results help set the premise for buildingtheories for how specific mechanisms of attention support reading development in children.Understanding the link between reading development and attention mechanisms has farreaching implications in the remediation for children with reading disabilities.

Sistem Pendukung Keputusan Penentuan Bonus Karyawan Dengan Metode SAW Pada PT. Delima Makmur Aceh Singkil

Decision Support System (SPK) becomes a system that is always needed for companies in determining a decision, one of which is in determining the annual bonus for employees. PT. Delima Makmur Aceh Singkil in determining employee bonuses every year is still processed manually and assisted by the number and letter processing application, so the results of the calculation of employees who receive bonuses often do not match the criteria and performance of the employee. Bonus calculation results often affect the personal relationship between employees and managers or superiors. Regarding the problems needed a decision support system that can result in proper and transparent decisions in determining employees who receive annual bonuses from the company. The method used in the process of calculating bonus determination is the Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) method. The system making model uses a waterfall model and the system design model used is UML. The programming language used in making systems is PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor), and MySQL as a database, and system testing with the Black Box testing method. The results of the study are the SPK system makes it easier for companies in the assessment process and calculation of employee bonus determination in accordance with employee criteria and performance. This SPK system can provide transparent assessments and calculations in determining the bonus received by employees

Double-letter processing in developmental and skilled handwriting production: Evidence from kinematics

In this study, we investigated the effects of double-letter processing on handwriting production in beginning and skilled writers of German. One hundred and thirty-seven children from Grades 2 and 3 and 31 adult participants were asked to copy words with double consonants (e.g., “Kanne”) and matched words without double consonants (e.g., “Kante”) from a computer screen onto a pen tablet, while their handwriting was recorded with high spatio-temporal resolution. Handwriting productions were analysed in terms of Reading Duration, Writing Onset Duration, and Letter Duration at the letter positions preceding or forming the onset of the corresponding consonant clusters. Our results showed that second graders take less time to initiate writing words with double consonants than words without double consonants, while both second and third graders take less time to read words with double consonants than words without double consonants. Critically, although second and third graders write down a letter faster when it corresponds to the first letter of a double-letter unit than a consonant cluster, it is the other way around for adults. We interpret these findings within extant theories of handwriting production and offer an explanation for the different nature of the effects observed in beginning and skilled writers.