The Split Fovea Theory and the Leicester critique: what do the data say?

Abstract

According to the Split Fovea Theory (SFT) recognition of foveally presented words involves interhemispheric
transfer. This is because letters to the left of the fixation location are initially sent to the right
hemisphere, whereas letters to the right of the fixation position are projected to the left hemisphere.
Both sources of information must be integrated for words to be recognized. Evidence for the SFT comes
from the Optimal Viewing Position (OVP) paradigm, in which foveal word recognition is examined as
a function of the letter fixated. OVP curves are different for left and right language dominant participants,
indicating a time cost when information is presented in the half-field ipsilateral to the dominant
hemisphere (Hunter, Brysbaert, & Knecht, 2007). The methodology of the SFT research has recently been
questioned, because not enough efforts were made to ensure adequate fixation. The aim of the present
study is to test the validity of this argument. Experiment 1 replicated the OVP effect in a naming task
by presenting words at different fixation positions, with the experimental settings applied in previous
OVP research. Experiment 2 monitored and controlled eye fixations of the participants and presented
the stimuli within the boundaries of the fovea. Exactly the same OVP curve was obtained. In Experiment
3, the eyes were also tracked and monocular viewing was used. Results again revealed the same OVP
effect, although latencies were remarkably higher than in the previous experiments. From these results
we can conclude that although noise is present in classical SFT studies without eye-tracking, this does
not change the OVP effect observed with left dominant individuals.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Denis Drieghe: orcid.org/0000-0001-9630-8410

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