Continuous text may be presented via a one-line visual display by dividing it into “frames,” each of which is displayed for some specified time. Two different approaches to determine the contents of these frames can be distinguished: character-stepped display and word-stepped display. In the former the start of each frame is “stepped” some number of characters through the text for each frame presented. Viewed in this way the text appears to be moving jerkily behind a slot. In a word-stepped display the contents of each frame depend on word boundaries (e.g., having a separate word in each frame).

Experiments are described which compare different ways of displaying text. Readers can cope with character- and word-stepped displays at high rates of presentation. The parameter which was identified as having most influence on performance was the expected proportion of words occurring whole on some frame.

--Author’s Abstract

--Abstract recommended by J. Major, Eau Claire, WI