Parafoveal identification during a fixation in reading

Abstract

This paper deals with the extent to which the perceptual span in reading differs as a function of grammatical categories. Subjects read short passages of text and their eye movements were monitored as they did. Irregularities were entered into the text in the subject, verb, or object location of active sentences. Eye movement data were analyzed to determine how far from these various locations the readers were aware of the irregularities. Although there were no differences due to the different parts of speech employed, there was evidence that the perceptual span varied at different locations in text. It was found that readers seldom fixated between sentences and when they did, they were obtaining little information from parafoveal vision.