Rapid Serial Visual Presentation Reading Research Articles

Exploration of dynamic text presentations in bilateral central vision loss.

Dynamic text presentation methods may improve reading ability in patients with central vision loss (CVL) by eliminating the need for accurate eye movements. We compared rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) and horizontal scrolling text presentation (scrolling) on reading rate and reading acuity in CVL observers and normally-sighted controls with simulated CVL (simCVL). CVL observers' (n=11) central scotomas and preferred retinal loci (PRL) for each eye were determined with MAIA microperimetry and fixation analysis. SimCVL controls (n=16) used 4° inferior eccentric viewing, enforced with an Eyelink eye-tracker. Observers read aloud 4-word phrases randomly drawn from the MNREAD sentences. Six font sizes (0.50-1.30logMAR) were tested with the better near acuity eye and both eyes of CVL observers. Three font sizes (0.50-1.00logMAR) were tested binocularly in simCVL controls. Text presentation duration of each word for RSVP or drift speed for scrolling was varied to determine reading rate, defined as 50% of words read correctly. In a subset of CVL observers (n=7), relationships between PRL eccentricity, reading threshold and rate were explored. SimCVL controls demonstrated significantly faster reading rates for RSVP than scrolling text (p<0.0001), and there was a significant main effect of font size (p<0.0001). CVL patients demonstrated no significant differences in binocular reading rate between font sizes (p=0.12) and text presentation (p=0.25). Similar results were seen under monocular conditions. Readingacuity for RSVP and scrolling worsened with increasing PRL eccentricity (μ=4.5°, p=0.07). RSVP reading rate decreased significantly with increasing eccentricity (p=0.02). Consistent with previous work, reading acuity worsened with increasing PRL eccentricity. RSVP and scrolling text presentations significantly affected reading rate in simCVL, but not in CVL observers, suggesting that simCVL results may not generalise to pathological CVL.

Training to improve temporal processing of letters benefits reading speed for people with central vision loss.

Reading is slow and difficult for many people with central vision loss. A previous study showed that the temporal threshold for letter recognition is a major factor limiting reading speed for people with central vision loss. Here, we asked whether the temporal threshold for letter recognition for people with central vision loss could be improved through training and, if so, whether that would benefit reading. Training consisted of six sessions (3000 trials) of recognizing letter trigrams presented at fixation. Trigrams were initially presented at a baseline temporal threshold that was decreased by 0.1 log step when observers’ letter recognition accuracies reached 80% or higher for four consecutive blocks. Before and after training, we measured observers’ visual acuity, preferred retinal locus for fixation, fixation stability, reading speeds using the rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm, the MNREAD Acuity Chart and 100-word passages, the baseline temporal threshold for letter recognition at 80% accuracy, and a visual-span profile. After training, the temporal threshold was decreased by 68%. This improvement was accompanied by a higher RSVP maximum reading speed (but no change in MNREAD and passage reading speeds) and a larger visual span. A mediation analysis showed that the relationship between the temporal threshold and RSVP maximum reading speed was mainly mediated by the information transfer rate (size of visual span/temporal duration). Our results showed that the temporal threshold for letter recognition is amenable to training and can improve RSVP reading speeds, offering a practical means to improve reading speed for people with central vision loss.

Assessing reading performance in the periphery with a Bayesian adaptive approach: The qReading method.

Reading is a crucial visual activity and a fundamental skill in daily life. Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) is a text-presentation paradigm that has been extensively used in the laboratory to study basic characteristics of reading performance. However, measuring reading function (reading speed vs. print size) is time-consuming for RSVP reading using conventional testing procedures. In this study, we develop a novel method, qReading, utilizing the Bayesian adaptive testing framework to measure reading function in the periphery. We perform both a psychophysical experiment and computer simulations to validate the qReading method. In the experiment, words are presented using an RSVP paradigm at 10° in the lower visual field. The reading function obtained from the qReading method with 50 trials exhibits good agreement (i.e., high accuracy) with the reading function obtained from a conventional method (method of constant stimuli [MCS]) with 186 trials (mean root mean square error: 0.12 log10 units). Simulations further confirm that the qReading method provides an unbiased measure. The qReading procedure also demonstrates excellent precision (half width of 68.2% credible interval: 0.02 log10 units with 50 trials) compared to the MCS method (0.03 log10 units with 186 trials). This investigation establishes that the qReading method can adequately measure the reading function in the normal periphery with high accuracy, precision, and efficiency, and is a potentially valuable tool for both research and clinical assessments.

Impact of simulated micro-scotomas on reading performance in central and peripheral retina

Observers with central field loss typically fixate within a non-foveal region called the preferred retinal locus, which can include localized sensitivity losses, or micro-scotomas (Krishnan and Bedell, 2018). In this study, we simulated micro-scotomas at the fovea and in the peripheral retina to assess their impact on reading speed. Ten younger (<36 years old) and 8 older (>50 years old) naïve observers with normal vision monocularly read high and/or low contrast sentences, presented at or above the critical print size for young observers at the fovea and at 5 and 10 deg in the inferior visual field. Reading material comprised MNREAD sentences and sentences taken from novels that were presented in rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) format. Randomly distributed 13 × 13 arc min blocks corresponding to 0–78% of the text area (corresponding to ∼0–17 micro-scotomas/deg2) were set to the background luminance to simulate micro-scotomas. A staircase algorithm estimated maximum reading speed from the threshold exposure duration for each combination of retinal eccentricity, contrast and micro-scotoma density in both age groups. Log10(RSVP reading speed) decreased significantly with simulated micro-scotoma density and eccentricity. Across conditions, reading speed was slower with low-compared to high-contrast text and was faster in younger than older normal observers. For a given eccentricity and contrast, a higher density of random element losses maximally affected older observers with normal vision. These outcomes may explain some of the reading deficits observed in older observers with central field loss.

Modern Speed-Reading Apps Do Not Foster Reading Comprehension.

New computer apps are gaining popularity by suggesting that reading speeds can be drastically increased when eye movements that normally occur during reading are eliminated. This is done using rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP), where words are presented 1 at a time, thus preventing natural eye movements such as saccades, fixations, and regressions from occurring. Al- though the companies producing these apps suggest that RSVP reading does not yield comprehension deficits, research investigating the role of eye movements in reading documents shows the necessity of natural eye movements for accurate comprehension. The current study explored variables that may affect reading comprehension during RSVP reading, including text difficulty (6th grade and 12th grade), text presentation speed (static, 700 wpm, and 1,000 wpm), and working memory capacity (WMC). Consistent with recent work showing a tenuous relationship between comprehension and WMC, participants' WMC did not predict comprehension scores. Instead, comprehension was most affected by reading speed: Static text was associated with superior performance, relative to either RSVP reading condition. Furthermore, slower RSVP speeds yielded better verbatim comprehension, and faster speeds benefited inferential comprehension.

Character Decomposition and Transposition Processes of Chinese Compound Words in Rapid Serial Visual Presentation.

Character order information is encoded at the initial stage of Chinese word processing, however, its time course remains underspecified. In this study, we assess the exact time course of the character decomposition and transposition processes of two-character Chinese compound words (canonical, transposed, or reversible words) compared with pseudowords using dual-target rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) of stimuli appearing at 30 ms per character with no inter-stimulus interval. The results indicate that Chinese readers can identify words with character transpositions in rapid succession; however, a transposition cost is involved in identifying transposed words compared to canonical words. In RSVP reading, character order of words is more likely to be reversed during the period from 30 to 180 ms for canonical and reversible words, but the period from 30 to 240 ms for transposed words. Taken together, the findings demonstrate that the holistic representation of the base word is activated, however, the order of the two constituent characters is not strictly processed during the very early stage of visual word processing.

Exploring the Effects of Text Length and Difficulty on RSVP Reading

Recent marketing efforts claim that by removing saccades, well designed Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) text displays can increase reading speed without an overall loss of comprehension. Due to the cognitive load when displaying long text it has been suggested that RSVP is better utilized in shorter text or longer text presented in small sections. With the introduction of smart watches as display mediums, opportunities for these types of text display have become more prominent due to their small form-factor. These small screen displays have limited space and often are used to convey short messages, which have motivated a closer look at RSVP. In the current study, we investigate the effects of text length and text reading level on comprehension. We compare RSVP to traditional (left-to-right) text presentations. In line with previous studies our results show that there were no differences between comprehension for RSVP and traditional text displays at normal reading speeds. Future, research may focus on the effects of training and familiarity with RSVP and its performance at the marketed higher readings speeds.

RSVP Reading on a Smart Watch

Reading with Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) has shown promise for optimizing screen space and increasing reading speed without compromising comprehension. Given the wide use of small-screen devices, the present study compared RSVP and traditional reading on three types of reading comprehension, reading speed, and subjective measures on a smart watch. Results confirm previous studies that show faster reading speed with RSVP without detracting from comprehension. Subjective data indicate that Traditional is strongly preferred to RSVP as a primary reading method. Given the optimal use of screen space, increased speed and comparable comprehension, future studies should focus on making RSVP a more comfortable format.

Changes across the psychometric function following perceptual learning of an RSVP reading task.

Several recent studies have shown that perceptual learning can result in improvements in reading speed for people with macular disease (e.g., Chung, 2011; Tarita-Nistor et al., 2014). The improvements were reported as an increase in reading speed defined by specific criteria; however, little is known about how other properties of the reading performance or the participants' perceptual responses change as a consequence of learning. In this paper, we performed detailed analyses of data following perceptual learning using an RSVP (rapid serial visual presentation) reading task, looking beyond the change in reading speed defined by the threshold at a given accuracy on a psychometric function relating response accuracy with word exposure duration. Specifically, we explored the statistical characteristics of the response data to address two specific questions: was there a change in the slope of the psychometric function and did the improvements in performance occur consistently across different word exposure durations? Our results show that there is a general steepening of the slope of the psychometric function, leading to non-uniform improvements across stimulus levels.

Learning to Read Vertical Text in Peripheral Vision

English-language text is almost always written horizontally. Text can be formatted to run vertically, but this is seldom used. Several studies have found that horizontal text can be read faster than vertical text in the central visual field. No studies have investigated the peripheral visual field. Studies have also concluded that training can improve reading speed in the peripheral visual field for horizontal text. We aimed to establish whether the horizontal vertical differences are maintained and if training can improve vertical reading in the peripheral visual field. Eight normally sighted young adults participated in the first study. Rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) reading speed was measured for horizontal and vertical text in the central visual field and at 10 degrees eccentricity in the upper or lower (horizontal text) and right or left (vertical text) visual fields. Twenty-one normally sighted young adults split equally between two training groups and one control group participated in the second study. Training consisted of RSVP reading using either vertical text in the left visual field or horizontal text in the inferior visual field. Subjects trained daily over 4 days. Pre- and post- horizontal and vertical RSVP reading speeds were carried out for all groups. For the training groups, these measurements were repeated 1 week and 1 month posttraining. Before training, RSVP reading speeds were faster for horizontal text in the central and peripheral visual fields when compared with vertical text. Training vertical reading improved vertical reading speeds by an average factor of 2.8. There was partial transfer of training to the opposite (right) hemifield. The training effects were retained for up to a month. Rapid serial visual presentation training can improve RSVP vertical text reading in peripheral vision. These findings may have implications for patients with macular degeneration or hemianopic field loss.

Reading Speed in Peripheral Vision Improves with Practice: Investigation of the Involved Cortical Sites

Reading speed in peripheral vision improves with practice, but the cortical site of this improvement is not understood. Using psychophysics and fMRI, we investigated the potential training-related functional changes in retinotopic and non-retinotopic cortical areas. Ten young normally sighted subjects were trained (1hour/day over 4days) to read sentences displayed in the lower visual field (10º eccentricity) using the Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) paradigm. Pre- and post-training psychophysical tests included RSVP reading speed, visual span and orientation discrimination (Gabor patch) measurements in both the trained (lower) and untrained (upper) visual fields. Functional MRI measurements (BOLD) were recorded before and after training for eccentric RSVP reading (at four presentation rates) and grating orientation discrimination. The fMRI measurements used a rapid event-related design, with analysis focusing on three cortical regions: the primary visual cortex, Broca’s area and the visual word form area (VWFA). Training resulted in a significant gain (60% ±25%) in RSVP reading speed in the trained visual field, and partial transfer of this improvement to the untrained upper visual field. The fMRI results showed that the activity level in VWFA was dependent on the presentation rate and in turn was positively correlated with the percentage of words accurately recognized. More specifically, before training, BOLD activity in VWFA was significantly weaker (p<0.01) for the fastest (hardest) reading condition than for the slowest (easiest) one, but this difference was significantly reduced after training. A weaker but similar trend was observed in retinotopic cortex as well. Our results show that VWFA response during reading in peripheral vision is affected by a training protocol that enhances reading speed. The more uniform VWFA responses at the four RSVP rates following training may be associated with higher word recognition accuracy for the faster rates which in turn yield shallower behavioral psychometric functions. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2013

Improving Reading Speed for People with Central Vision Loss through Perceptual Learning

Perceptual learning has been shown to be effective in improving visual functions in the normal adult visual system, as well as in adults with amblyopia. In this study, the feasibility of applying perceptual learning to enhance reading speed in people with long-standing central vision loss was evaluated. Six observers (mean age, 73.8) with long-standing central vision loss practiced an oral sentence-reading task, with words presented sequentially using rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP). A pre-test consisted of measurements of visual acuities, RSVP reading speeds for six print sizes, the location of the preferred retinal locus for fixation (fPRL), and fixation stability. Training consisted of six weekly sessions of RSVP reading, with 300 sentences presented per session. A post-test, identical with the pre-test, followed the training. All observers showed improved RSVP reading speed after training. The improvement averaged 53% (range, 34-70%). Comparisons of pre- and post-test measurements revealed little changes in visual acuity, critical print size, location of the fPRL, and fixation stability. The specificity of the learning effect, and the lack of changes to the fPRL location and fixation stability suggest that the improvements are not due to observers adopting a retinal location with better visual capability, or an improvement in fixation. Rather, the improvements are likely to represent genuine plasticity of the visual system despite the older ages of the observers, coupled with long-standing sensory deficits. Perceptual learning might be an effective way of enhancing visual performance for people with central vision loss.

FIXATION STABILITY MEASUREMENT USING THE MP1 MICROPERIMETER

The Nidek microperimeter (MP1, Nidek Instruments, Italy) is a microperimetry device that also assesses fixation stability. The MP1 does not use the method of quantifying fixation stability by calculating a bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA). Here we compare the MP1 fixation quantification with the BCEA technique by correlating these values to various parameters of reading known to be related to fixation stability. Twenty-five people with age-related macular disease were assessed. Eye position was recorded using the MP1 during a fixation task. Fixation score and central 2 degrees and central 4 degrees values were obtained from the MP1. Bivariate contour ellipse area values were calculated from raw fixation data. Reading was assessed using MNREAD, Rapid Serial Visual Presentation, and European reading tests. Fixation data could not be collected for two observers. For the other 23 participants, the MP1 fixation scores were very poorly related to reading parameters. In contrast, there was a significant relationship between fixation stability assessed using the BCEA technique and Rapid Serial Visual Presentation reading speed (r = -0.59, P < 0.01), European reading test reading error rate (r = 0.66, P < 0.01), and MNREAD peak reading speed (r = 0.55, P < 0.05). Using the software supplied with the MP1 does not adequately quantify fixation stability in people with age-related macular disease. We recommend that the BCEA technique is used to quantify fixation stability when using the MP1 microperimeter.

The case for the visual span as a sensory bottleneck in reading.

The visual span for reading is the number of letters, arranged horizontally as in text, that can be recognized reliably without moving the eyes. The visual-span hypothesis states that the size of the visual span is an important factor that limits reading speed. From this hypothesis, we predict that changes in reading speed as a function of character size or contrast are determined by corresponding changes in the size of the visual span. We tested this prediction in two experiments in which we measured the size of the visual span and reading speed on groups of five subjects as a function of either character size or character contrast. We used a "trigram method" for characterizing the visual span as a profile of letter-recognition accuracy as a function of distance left and right of the midline (G. E. Legge, J. S. Mansfield, & S. T. L. Chung, 2001). The area under this profile was taken as an operational measure of the size of the visual span. Reading speed was measured with the Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) method. We found that the size of the visual span and reading speed showed the same qualitative dependence on character size and contrast, reached maximum values at the same critical points, and exhibited high correlations at the level of individual subjects. Additional analysis of data from four studies provides evidence for an invariant relationship between the size of the visual span and RSVP reading speed; an increase in the visual span by one letter is associated with a 39% increase in reading speed. Our results confirm the visual-span hypothesis and provide a theoretical framework for understanding the impact of stimulus attributes, such as contrast and character size, on reading speed. Evidence for the visual span as a determinant of reading speed implies the existence of a bottom-up, sensory limitation on reading, distinct from attentional, motor, or linguistic influences.

Effect of letter spacing on visual span and reading speed.

S. T. L. Chung (2002) has shown that rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) reading speed varies with letter spacing, peaking near the standard letter spacing for text and decreasing for both smaller and larger spacings. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the dependence of reading speed on letter spacing is mediated by the size of the visual span-the number of letters recognized with high accuracy without moving the eyes. If so, the size of the visual span and reading speed should show a similar dependence on letter spacing. We tested this prediction for RSVP reading and asked whether it generalizes to the reading of blocks of text requiring eye movements. We measured visual-span profiles and reading speeds as a function of letter spacing. Visual-span profiles, measured with trigrams (strings of three random letters), are plots of letter-recognition accuracy as a function of letter position left or right of fixation. Size of the visual span was quantified by a measure of the area under the visual-span profile. Reading performance was measured using two presentation methods: RSVP and flashcard (a short block of text on four lines). We found that the size of the visual span and the reading speeds measured by the two presentation methods showed a qualitatively similar dependence on letter spacing and that they were highly correlated. These results are consistent with the view that the size of the visual span is a primary visual factor that limits reading speed.

Immediate and Delayed Recall of Visually Presented Sentences:

Immediate and Delayed Recall of Visually Presented Sentences:

Immediate and delayed recall of visually presented sentences: evidence for the involvement of phonological information.

The lure intrusion effect refers to the observation that lexical priming affects recall of sentences. This effect is taken as evidence against the contribution of surface information, even with immediate sentence recall. Recently, Rummer and Engelkamp (2003a) demonstrated that this effect, which is usually observed under rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP), does not appear under immediate recall of auditorily presented sentences. This finding indicates that surface information (i.e., phonological or acoustic-sensory information) can contribute to immediate sentence recall. So far, however, the findings do not allow for a decision on whether phonological and/or acoustic-sensory information is used in immediate sentence recall. In order to dissociate the two kinds of surface information, an experiment was conducted in which immediate and delayed recall were tested for sentences that were visually presented for a longer period of time than in RSVP. This kind of presentation should support phonological representations, but does not allow for acoustic-sensory representations. The findings showed a smaller intrusion effect for immediate than for delayed recall. This indicates that, if available, phonological information is involved in immediate sentence recall thereby reducing the lure intrusion effect. Furthermore, the findings support the assumption that the phonological trace provided via RSVP reading is weaker than in normal reading.

Low-vision patients with age-related maculopathy read RSVP faster when word duration varies according to word length.

Normally sighted younger and elder subjects as well as subjects with central visual field loss (CFL) from age-related maculopathy read rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) text with words presented at a constant rate and at three different rates where word presentation duration varied according to word length. The elder subjects reading sentences foveally read fastest when word duration was constant. The younger group reading random words peripherally read faster at a variable word duration rate. The subjects with CFL read sentences an average of 33% faster when the presentation rate varied with word length. There was a trend for slow readers with CFL to benefit more than fast readers with CFL. We conclude that varying word duration based on word length in rapid serial visual presentation reading would improve reading rates for low-vision patients with CFL.

Psychophysics of reading: XX. Linking letter recognition to reading speed in central and peripheral vision

Our goal is to link spatial and temporal properties of letter recognition to reading speed for text viewed centrally or in peripheral vision. We propose that the size of the visual span — the number of letters recognizable in a glance — imposes a fundamental limit on reading speed, and that shrinkage of the visual span in peripheral vision accounts for slower peripheral reading. In Experiment 1, we estimated the size of the visual span in the lower visual field by measuring RSVP (rapid serial visual presentation) reading times as a function of word length. The size of the visual span decreased from at least 10 letters in central vision to 1.7 letters at 15° eccentricity, in good agreement with the corresponding reduction of reading speed measured by Chung and coworkers (Chung, S. T. L., Mansfield, J. S., & Legge, G. E. (1998). Psychophysics of reading. XVIII. The effect of print size on reading speed in normal peripheral vision. Vision Research, 38, 2949–2962). In Exp. 2, we measured letter recognition for trigrams (random strings of three letters) as a function of their position on horizontal lines passing through fixation (central vision) or displaced downward into the lower visual field (5, 10 and 20°). We also varied trigram presentation time. We used these data to construct visual-span profiles of letter accuracy versus letter position. These profiles were used as input to a parameter-free model whose output was RSVP reading speed. A version of this model containing a simple lexical-matching rule accounted for RSVP reading speed in central vision. Failure of this version of the model in peripheral vision indicated that people rely more on lexical inference to support peripheral reading. We conclude that spatiotemporal characteristics of the visual span limit RSVP reading speed in central vision, and that shrinkage of the visual span results in slower reading in peripheral vision.

Elicited sequential presentation for low vision reading

This paper reports on a variant of the rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) technique for low vision reading called elicited sequential presentation (ESP). In both techniques, words are presented sequentially at a constant screen location, but with ESP, the reader elicits presentation of each new word by means of a button press, rather than (as with RSVP) being presented with it automatically at fixed intervals. An experiment comparing reading speeds using ESP, RSVP and a conventional closed-circuit television (CCTV) reading aid showed that for 15 slow readers who were customary CCTV users with low vision, ESP is superior to RSVP and yields reading speeds averaging 47% faster than RSVP — about the same as CCTV reading speed. The log of the ratio of ESP to RSVP reading speeds was significantly negatively correlated with the log of RSVP reading speed, showing that slower readers benefit more than faster readers; regression predicted no benefit for readers who read with RSVP at 133 wpm or greater. Finally, word length and word presentation duration chosen by subjects reading with ESP were significantly correlated, suggesting that part of the benefit of ESP is due to reader’s ability to allocate time based on word length and difficulty.