Parafoveal preview benefit in reading is only obtained from the saccade goal

Scott A. McDonald*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that reading is less efficient when parafoveal visual information about upcoming words is invalid or unavailable; the benefit from a valid preview is realised as reduced reading times on the subsequently foveated word, and has been explained with reference to the allocation of attentional resources to parafoveal word(s). This paper presents eyetracking evidence that preview benefit is obtained only for words that are selected as the saccade target. Using a gaze-contingent display change paradigm (Rayner, K. (1975). The perceptual span and peripheral cues in reading. Cognitive Psychology, 7, 65-81), the position of the triggering boundary was set near the middle of the pretarget word. When a refixation saccade took the eye across the boundary in the pretarget word, there was no reliable effect of the validity of the target word preview. However, when the triggering boundary was positioned just after the pretarget word, a robust preview benefit was observed, replicating previous research. The current results complement findings from studies of basic visual function, suggesting that for the case of preview benefit in reading, attentional and oculomotor processes are obligatorily coupled.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4416-4424
Number of pages9
JournalVision Research
Volume46
Issue number26
Early online date11 Oct 2006
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2006
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Eye movements
  • Parafoveal preview
  • Reading

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ophthalmology
  • Sensory Systems

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