4 ms·
This is not correct. The “word shape model” itself is actually probably wrong[0]. > The weakest evidence in support of word shape is that lowercase text is rea
by csnover 6y ago
This is not correct. The “word shape model” itself is actually probably wrong[0].
> The weakest evidence in support of word shape is that lowercase text is read faster than uppercase text. This is entirely a practice effect. Most readers spend the bulk of their time reading lowercase text and are therefore more proficient at it. When readers are forced to read large quantities of uppercase text, their reading speed will eventually increase to the rate of lowercase text. Even text oriented as if you were seeing it in a mirror will quickly increase in reading speed with practice (Kolers & Perkins, 1975).
[0] https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/develop/word-recognition https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/develop/word-rec...
- wongarsu 6y agoEven if this is true and it's just practice, any new programmer still comes with years of practice in reading mostly lowercased text and very little experience reading all-uppercase text. In a field where everything gets reinvented all the time this should have a big impact.
- yesenadam 6y agoJazz pianist here. I had a weekly gig for a couple of years where the singer would choose songs and put the chord chart – | Eb C-7 | F-7 Bb7 | etc. – on the grand piano so the bass player could read it, and it was upside down for me. After a while, it almost seemed easier for me to read chord charts upside down!