Use of the Ober2 Model B-1200 system for analysis of eye movements made during reading.
BACKGROUND
The Ober2 Model B-1200 system uses infrared reflections to record and analyze eye movements made during reading. The system's ability to analyze data from normal subjects and the reliability of the data produced by subjects who read standard paragraphs were investigated.


METHODS
Forty-two optometry students and 20 junior high school students, all self-assessed normal readers, read five different Taylor test paragraphs during each of two sessions. Ober2 Model B-1200 analysis was attempted for each paragraph; when analysis was successful, grade-equivalent scores based on fixations, span of recognition, regressions, fixation duration, and reading rate were determined.


RESULTS
The Ober2 Model B-1200 system was unsuccessful in analyzing data from 30% of the paragraph presentations; manual calibration procedures allowed no additional data analysis. Using mean grade-equivalent data from 16 optometry student subjects for whom all 10 paragraphs could be analyzed, significant differences were found between results for two of the test paragraphs. Split-half inter-session reliability coefficients for grade-equivalent data ranged from 0.84 to 0.95. No intra-session learning or fatigue effects on reading data were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the Ober2 Model B-1200 potentially can provide valuable information on eye movements made during reading, problems exist with respect to its ability to analyze data. The analysis failures significantly limited the value of this system.
Koenig
G S
GS
Pacific University, College of Optometry, Forest Grove, Oregon 97116, USA.
Price
N C
NC
Baird
M L
ML
Laukkanen
H R
HR
Yolton
R L
RL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000503:physiopathology; D004867:Equipment Design; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009907:Optometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011932:Reading; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014787:Vision Tests / Q000295:instrumentation*