ABSTRACT
The process of reading doubtless seems to hold few mysteries from the viewpoint of a normal adult who ingests large quantities of printed material during almost every waking hour but who has never had occasion to study this form of behavior in the laboratory. A commonsense view which, up to a point, cannot be far from the truth would have it that one reads by seeing letters and remembering the meanings of combinations of letters which make up words. Ease of reading clearly depends on two classes of conditions: (1) physical parameters such as type size, illumination, and viewing time; and (2) familiarity of the material. What has been added to this account by nearly 100 years of experimental and theoretical research?
