the effect was first described by cattell (1886), and important contributions came from reicher (1969) and wheeler (1970). cattell first wrote, "i find it takes about twice as long to read...words which have no connexion as words which make sentences, and letters which have no connexions as letters which make words. when the words make sentences and the letters words, not only do the processes of seeing and naming overlap, but by one mental effort the subject can recognize a whole group of words or letters".