Visual recognition of isolated lower-case letters

Perceptual cues mediating recognition of isolated lowercase letters have been investigated in two conditions of marginal reading:from a long distance and in eccentric vision. A high incidence of confusions indicates that observers readily use available cues for arriving at letter responses. Analysis of the confusions leads to perceptual similarities and to common properties that have possibly served as perceptual cues. Dominating similarities are /h k b/, /tilfr/,/eoc/,/aszxe/,/vw/and/gq/. Properties with high cue values are: 1. (1) vertically ascending and descending parts, 2. (2) slenderness, 3. (3) outer vertical and outer oblique parts, and also outer gaps. Inner parts are weak cues at best. Bias effects occur towards letters that occur frequently in the printed language, but they are restricted to confusions. Perceptual cues prevail over bias effects. In eccentric vision, recognition is limited by more factors than just a low visual acuity.