Final published version
Licence: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Testing the limits of contextual constraint: Interactions with word frequency and parafoveal preview during fluent reading. / Sereno, S.C.; Hand, C.J.; Shahid, A. et al.
In: Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Vol. 71, No. 1, 01.01.2018, p. 302-313.Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Testing the limits of contextual constraint: Interactions with word frequency and parafoveal preview during fluent reading
AU - Sereno, S.C.
AU - Hand, C.J.
AU - Shahid, A.
AU - Yao, B.
AU - O’Donnell, P.J.
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - Contextual constraint is a key factor affecting a word’s fixation duration and its likelihood of being fixated during reading. Previous research has generally demonstrated additive effects of predictability and frequency in fixation times. Studies examining the role of parafoveal preview have shown that greater preview benefit is obtained from more predictable and higher frequency words versus less predictable and lower frequency words. In two experiments, we investigated effects of target word predictability, frequency and parafoveal preview. A 3 (Predictability: low, medium, high) × 2 (Frequency: low, high) design was used with Preview (valid, invalid) manipulated between experiments. With valid previews, we found main effects of Predictability and Frequency in both fixation time and fixation probability measures, including an interaction in early fixation measures. With invalid preview, we again found main effects of Predictability and Frequency in fixation times, but no evidence of an interaction. Fixation probability showed a weak Predictability effect and Predictability–Frequency interaction. Predictability interacted with Preview in early fixation time and fixation probability measures. Our findings suggest that high levels of contextual constraint exert an early influence during lexical processing in reading. Results are discussed in terms of models of language processing and eye movement control.
AB - Contextual constraint is a key factor affecting a word’s fixation duration and its likelihood of being fixated during reading. Previous research has generally demonstrated additive effects of predictability and frequency in fixation times. Studies examining the role of parafoveal preview have shown that greater preview benefit is obtained from more predictable and higher frequency words versus less predictable and lower frequency words. In two experiments, we investigated effects of target word predictability, frequency and parafoveal preview. A 3 (Predictability: low, medium, high) × 2 (Frequency: low, high) design was used with Preview (valid, invalid) manipulated between experiments. With valid previews, we found main effects of Predictability and Frequency in both fixation time and fixation probability measures, including an interaction in early fixation measures. With invalid preview, we again found main effects of Predictability and Frequency in fixation times, but no evidence of an interaction. Fixation probability showed a weak Predictability effect and Predictability–Frequency interaction. Predictability interacted with Preview in early fixation time and fixation probability measures. Our findings suggest that high levels of contextual constraint exert an early influence during lexical processing in reading. Results are discussed in terms of models of language processing and eye movement control.
KW - Contextual predictability
KW - word frequency
KW - parafoveal preview
KW - eye movements
KW - reading
U2 - 10.1080/17470218.2017.1327981
DO - 10.1080/17470218.2017.1327981
M3 - Journal article
VL - 71
SP - 302
EP - 313
JO - Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
JF - Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
IS - 1
ER -