A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Do frequency characteristics of nonfixated words influence the processing of fixated words during reading?
Authors: Hyona J, Bertram R
Publisher: PSYCHOLOGY PRESS
Publication year: 2004
Journal: European Journal of Cognitive Psychology
Journal name in source: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Journal acronym: EUR J COGN PSYCHOL
Volume: 16
Issue: 1-2
First page : 104
Last page: 127
Number of pages: 24
ISSN: 0954-1446
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09541440340000132
Abstract
Are readers capable of lexically processing more than one word at a time? In five eye movement experiments, we examined to what extent lexical characteristics of the nonfixated word to the right of fixation influenced readers' eye behaviour on the fixated word. In three experiments, we varied the frequency of the initial constituent of two-noun compounds, while in two experiments the whole-word frequency was manipulated. The results showed that frequency characteristics of the parafoveal word sometimes affected eye behaviour prior to fixating it, but the direction of effects was not consistent and the effects were not replicated across all experiments. Follow-up regression analyses suggested that foveal and parafoveal word length as well as the frequency of the word-initial trigram of the parafoveal word may modulate the parafoveal-on-foveal effects. It is concluded that low-frequency words or lexemes may under certain circumstances serve as a magnet to attract an early eye movement to them. However, further corroborative evidence is clearly needed.
Are readers capable of lexically processing more than one word at a time? In five eye movement experiments, we examined to what extent lexical characteristics of the nonfixated word to the right of fixation influenced readers' eye behaviour on the fixated word. In three experiments, we varied the frequency of the initial constituent of two-noun compounds, while in two experiments the whole-word frequency was manipulated. The results showed that frequency characteristics of the parafoveal word sometimes affected eye behaviour prior to fixating it, but the direction of effects was not consistent and the effects were not replicated across all experiments. Follow-up regression analyses suggested that foveal and parafoveal word length as well as the frequency of the word-initial trigram of the parafoveal word may modulate the parafoveal-on-foveal effects. It is concluded that low-frequency words or lexemes may under certain circumstances serve as a magnet to attract an early eye movement to them. However, further corroborative evidence is clearly needed.
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