Location invariance in masked repetition priming of letters and words

Earlier studies have suggested that information from a prime stimulus can be integrated with target information even when the two stimuli appear at different spatial locations. Here, we examined such location invariance in a masked repetition priming paradigm with single letter and word stimuli. In order to neutralize effects of acuity and spatial attention on prime processing, subliminal prime stimuli always appeared on fixation. Target location varied randomly from trial to trial along the horizontal meridian at one of seven possible locations for letter stimuli (− 7° to + 7°) and three positions for word stimuli (− 4°, 0°, + 4°). Speed of responding to letter and word targets was affected by target location, and by priming, but the size of repetition priming effects did not vary as a function of target location. These results suggest that masked repetition priming is mediated by representations that integrate information about object identity independently of object location.

► Examine location invariance in masked priming with single letters and words. ► Stringent evaluation using psychophysical procedure and a strong masking condition. ► RT to letter and word targets was affected by target location, and by priming. ► Size of repetition priming effects did not vary as a function of target location.