Asymmetry of the perceptual span in reading (original) (raw)

Abstract

An on-line computer technique was used to determine whether three skilled readers acquired visual information equally far to the left and right of central vision during fixations in reading. None of the subjects appeared to use visual information more than four character positions to the left of the fixation point (smaller distances were not tested), though all of them acquired visual information substantially further than that to the right. Thus, the region of useful visual information in reading is asymmetric around the fixation point.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Cornell University, 214 Stone Hall, Ithaca, New York, 14853
   George W. McConkie
2. University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, 14627
   Keith Rayner

Authors

1. George W. McConkie
2. Keith Rayner

Additional information

The research described in this report was carried out at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The authors wish to express their gratitude to Dr. Marvin Minsky and Mr. Russell Noftsker for the use of the extensive computer facilities at the AI Lab, and to David Silver and Gary Wolverton for assistance with programming and data analysis. The research was supported by a special fellowship from the National Institute of Mental Health to the first author and by Grant OEG 2-71-0531 from the Office of Education. Portions of these data were presented at the 1975 meetings of the American Educational Research Association.

This paper is sponsored by Ralph N. Haber, who takes full editorial responsibility for its content.

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McConkie, G.W., Rayner, K. Asymmetry of the perceptual span in reading.Bull. Psychon. Soc. 8, 365–368 (1976). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03335168

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• Received: 16 July 1976
• Published: 08 November 2013
• Issue date: November 1976
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03335168

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