ABSTRACT
A skilled reader cannot help but read even the blandest banners on the information highway and real highways. Like listening, contact with the linguistic signal is all that seems to be necessary. This behavior is easily exposed by the Stroop color word test. You are asked to name the color of the print of each of the words in a list. When the words are the names of other colors (e.g., the word blue printed in red), however, you either switch gears into slow motion or name the written words rather than the colors (i.e., in our example, you incorrectly answer “blue” rather than “red”). The written word overrides your intention to name the color, contributing to the impression that reading is clearly magical.
