The letter identification process involves the use of a priori information. However, the question of the nature of the influence of global and local elements of a priori stimulation on the speed and accuracy of recognition of subsequent information still remains debatable. In order to determine the specificity of the identification processes it was made the comparison of children with typical language development (20 children), and children with mental retardation and general underdevelopment of speech of four levels: 1 - 21 children; 2 - 20 children; 3 - 22 children; 4–19 children (mean age 6.2±0.6 years).
With the help of priming paradigms, the effect of anticipating stimulation on the recognition rate of test objects was investigated depending on the interval between the test and prime stimuli. As test stimuli, figures of letters were used. Combined figures of letters containing test stimuli were presented as prime stimuli, one as a common global letter element, the second as an embedded local letter element.
The results allowed to establish that in children with typical language development there is a facilitating effect of anticipating global information on the time of identification of letters. At the same time, children, whose speech included simple sentences or individual words, narrowed the time window of the facilitating effect. In children with the absence of verbal communication, there was a complete lack of influence of a priori information on the recognition of subsequent information. The results obtained allow us to state that the letter identification processes depends on the level of language development.
This study was founded RFBR, project No. 17-06-00644-DHN.
Key words: letter identification, atypical development, levels of language disorders