A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE WHETHER PEOPLE CAN CHANGE THEIR PERCEPTUAL PROCESSING STRATEGIES TO INCLUDE TESTS FOR THE PRESENCE OF ONLY THOSE STIMULUS FEATURES NECESSARY FOR THE TASK AT HAND. LEARNING DURING PRACTICE AND THE EFFECT OF AGE ON THE ABILITY TO USE OPTIMAL STRATEGIES WERE INVESTIGATED. A DISJUNCTIVE REACTION TIME PROCEDURE WAS EMPLOYED. ROMAN CAPITAL LETTERS WERE DIVIDED INTO POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SETS, AND THERE WERE 135 TRIALS FOR EACH OF THREE CONDITIONS. THE PERFORMANCE OF SECOND AND SIXTH GRADERS WAS COMPARED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF COLLEGE SOPHOMORES. REACTION TIME AND ERRORS WERE RECORDED. A MIXED ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE WAS RUN FOR GRADE, CONDITION, AND PRACTICE AS FACTORS. RESULTS INDICATE THAT PERCEPTUAL LEARNING DID OCCUR AND THAT MOTOR SKILLS DID IMPROVE, ALTHOUGH DIFFERENTIAL RATE OF IMPROVEMENT WAS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR. FIGURES ARE INCLUDED. (MC)