本研究的受試者閱讀不同的文句，並對每個句子進行單字偵測的作業。在實驗中，文句是以單字呈現的方式逐一出現於電腦銀幕的同一位置上，或是以整句呈現的方式，整個句子從左至右同時呈現於銀幕上。實驗結果發現穩定的詞優效果：目標單字出現於詞中時比在非詞中更容易辨認。另外，當句子以單字呈現時，在失誤率上發現的詞優效果減小，對目標字的偵測失誤率也比整句呈現狀況中為低。文中並討論如何應用這些結果來幫助吾人了解閱讀中的字詞認知歷程。

　　　　　Subjects of the present experiment were asked to read different sentences and to respond to occurrence of a given character for each sentence. In each trial, a sentence was displayed either as a whole on a computer screen or as successive presentations of single characters toa common location. Results showed a reliable word superiority effect: Latencies were significantly longer and detection errors greater when a given character was embedded in a nonword rather than in a word context. This word superiority effect for errors diminished when the sentences were presented in the one-character condition. In addition, fewer errors were made when the sentences were displayed in the one-character rather than in the whole sentence condition. These findings are discussed in terms of how people process characters and words in reading situations.