AbstractsPsychology

A further study of retinal locus as a factor in the recognition of English and Jewish words.

by Jack. Orbach




Institution: McGill University
Department: Department of Psychology.
Degree: MA.
Year: 1950
Keywords: Retina  – Psychophysiology.; Word recognition.
Record ID: 1514820
Full text PDF: http://digitool.library.mcgill.ca/thesisfile124329.pdf


Abstract

Ever since 1929, when Lashley (14) published the results of his brain-extirpation experiments and Kohler (11) his critique of associationism and behaviorism, psychologists have been prone to tacit acceptance of the equipotentiality hypothesis. For over two decades, many a contemporary theorist has conceded Lashley’s argument and, consequently, has assumed that some form of configuration theory constitutes the only adequate attack upon behavioral problems. [...] The recognition-differential for Jewish words, although in the opposite direction from the English differential, was small and, consequently, one could argue that the conditions for Jewish-word recognition were, in some way, qualitatively different from that of the English words. It appeared to the present author that, if one could find more fluent readers of both English and Jewish, one might obtain more conclusive evidence one way or the other. Such evidence is necessary before the broader significance of Mishkin and Forgays’ work can be established: that the locus of excitation plays a determining role in the recognition of visually perceived words.