Development of letter-speciWc processing: The eVect of reading ability

During development, perceptual processing is tuned to inputs in the environment such that certain frequently encountered classes of stimuli are processed more eVectively than similar comparison stimuli. Letters represent a class of stimuli that are encountered frequently in the environment, at least in literate cultures. Thus, the present study examined the development of letter-speciWc processing in children 6–19 years old by comparing the diVerence between performance on a letter-matching task and an unfamiliar non-letter-matching task in diVerent subject groups. Results revealed an increase in letter-speciWc processing with development. Moreover, comparisons of letter-speciWc processing in groups of subjects matched either in age or reading ability indicate that the emergence of letter-speciWc processing is linked to increased reading skill, rather than increased age per se. Findings support theories of perceptual expertise, which suggest that skilled processing drives the specialization of perceptual mechanisms for certain classes of stimuli.  2005 Published by Elsevier B.V. PsycINFO classiWcation: 2323; 2340; 2820

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