The time course of processing handwritten words: An ERP investigation

• Published in: Neuropsychologia Vol. 159; p. 107924
• Main Authors: Vergara-Martínez, Marta, Gutierrez-Sigut, Eva, Perea, Manuel, Gil-López, Cristina, Carreiras, Manuel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 20.08.2021
• Subjects: ERPs; Handwritten word processing; Visual word recognition; ERPs; Handwritten word processing; Visual word recognition
• ISSN: 0028-3932; 1873-3514
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107924

Behavioral studies have shown that the legibility of handwritten script hinders visual word recognition. Furthermore, when compared with printed words, lexical effects (e.g., word-frequency effect) are magnified for less intelligible (difficult) handwriting (Barnhart and Goldinger, 2010; Perea et al., 2016). This boost has been interpreted in terms of greater influence of top-down mechanisms during visual word recognition. In the present experiment, we registered the participants' ERPs to uncover top-down processing effects on early perceptual encoding. Participants' behavioral and EEG responses were recorded to high- and low-frequency words that varied in script's legibility (printed, easy handwritten, difficult handwritten) in a lexical decision experiment. Behavioral results replicated previous findings: word-frequency effects were larger in difficult handwriting than in easy handwritten or printed conditions. Critically, the ERP data showed an early effect of word-frequency in the N170 that was restricted to the difficult-to-read handwritten condition. These results are interpreted in terms of increased attentional deployment when the bottom-up signal is weak (difficult handwritten stimuli). This attentional boost would enhance top-down effects (e.g., lexical effects) in the early stages of visual word processing. •Easy and difficult handwritten scripts hinder visual word recognition in different ways.•ERPs were recorded in a lexical decision task with printed and handwritten (easy/difficult) words (low/high frequency).•Word-frequency had an effect on the N170, only for difficult handwritten words.•Increased attentional deployment directed to the most ambiguous stimuli enhance top-down effects in visual word processing.