Imagine reading a word that has letters twisted, turned, or transformed—yet you still recognize it effortlessly. This phenomenon underscores the flexibility of letter detectors, a critical component of orthographic processing that allows readers to navigate the complexities of written language. Importantly, this flexibility enables efficient word recognition despite variations in letter identity and order. Research has shown that our brains can handle quite a bit of "noise" in letter identity (e.g., see Fernández-López et al., in press, for CAPTCHA-like examples) or in letter position (Perea & Lupker, 2003). In this presentation, we highlight how only understanding the flexibility of letter detectors, we gain valuable insights into the cognitive processes behind reading. Thus, it is mandatory for models to incorporate flexible letter detection mechanisms, accommodating variability without losing precision.

Fernández-López, M., Solaja, O., Crepaldi, D., & Perea, M. (in press). Top-down feedback normalizes distortion in early visual word recognition: Insights from masked priming. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.

Perea, M., & Lupker, S. J. (2003). Does jugde activate COURT? Transposed-letter confusability effects in masked associative priming. Memory and Cognition, 31, 829-841.