Eye movements when reading disappearing text: the importance of the word to the right of fixation.
In a series of experiments, the currently fixated word (word n) and/or the word to the right of fixation (word n+1) either disappeared or was masked during readers' eye fixations. Consistent with prior research, when only word n disappeared or was masked, there was little disruption to reading. However, when word n+1 either disappeared or was masked (either at the onset of fixation on word n or after 60 ms), there was considerable disruption to reading. Independent of whether word n and/or word n+1 disappeared or was masked, there were robust frequency effects on the fixation on word n. These results not only confirm the robust influence of cognitive/linguistic processing on fixation times in reading, but also again confirm the importance of preprocessing the word to the right of fixation for fluent reading.
Rayner
Keith
K
Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. rayner@psych.umass.edu
Liversedge
Simon P
SP
White
Sarah J
SJ
D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D010470:Perceptual Masking / Q000502:physiology*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011932:Reading; D012438:Saccades; D013997:Time Factors