Short-Term Word Priming Across Eye Movements

The authors conducted a short-term repetition priming experiment (using a visual, forced-choice word identification task) that compared a standard priming condition, where prime and target words appeared in the same spatial location, with an experimental condition in which prime and target words were spatially separated enough to necessitate an eye movement. Prime presentation duration was manipulated and, within both eye movement conditions, it was found that short primes produced a preference to choose a primed alternative, whereas for longer duration primes this preference was absent. Based on the similarity between eye movement conditions, it is argued that prime and target features from separate fixations are still confusable and that evidence regarding prime feature must still be discounted. A computation model that includes these offsetting components of source confusion and discounting provides an excellent account of our results.