Critique of Heron's Directional-Reading Conflict Theory of Scanning

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Abstract
Heron (1957) proposed a theory of scanning of tachistoscopically presented alphabetical stimuli. It provided a unifying framework to interpret the disparate results obtained when a target is exposed such that half of it is in the left visual field and half in the right visual field, and when arrays are presented laterally, i.e., either in the right or left field. The theory basically holds that eye-movement tendencies established through reading are also operative in covert scanning because tachistoscopically exposed material is encoded in a manner similar to the way it is read. This paper accepts this position but offers a critical evaluation of Heron's ideas as to the manner in which these tendencies function. This discussion and a reexamination of the role of these tendencies in reading lead to the conclusion that they operate sequentially, not simultaneously, as Heron contended. A slight modification in Heron's theory is offered in light of this conclusion.

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