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Right visual field advantage in parafoveal processing: Evidence from eye-fixation related potentials

Simola, Jaana LU ; Holmqvist, Kenneth LU and Lindgren, Magnus LU (2009) In Brain and Language 111(2). p.101-113
Abstract
Readers acquire information outside the current eye fixation. Previous research indicates that having only the fixated word available slows reading, but when the next word is visible, reading is almost as fast as when the whole line is seen. Parafoveal-on-foveal effects are interpreted to reflect that the characteristics of a parafoveal word can influence fixation on a current word. Prior studies also show that words presented to the right visual field (RVF) are processed faster and more accurately than words in the left visual field (LVF). This asymmetry results either from an attentional bias, reading direction, or the cerebral asymmetry of language processing. We used eye-fixation-related potentials (EFRP), a technique that combines... (More)
Readers acquire information outside the current eye fixation. Previous research indicates that having only the fixated word available slows reading, but when the next word is visible, reading is almost as fast as when the whole line is seen. Parafoveal-on-foveal effects are interpreted to reflect that the characteristics of a parafoveal word can influence fixation on a current word. Prior studies also show that words presented to the right visual field (RVF) are processed faster and more accurately than words in the left visual field (LVF). This asymmetry results either from an attentional bias, reading direction, or the cerebral asymmetry of language processing. We used eye-fixation-related potentials (EFRP), a technique that combines eye-tracking and electroencephalography, to investigate visual field differences in parafoveal-on-foveal effects. After a central fixation, a prime word appeared in the middle of the screen together with a parafoveal target that was presented either to the LVF or to the RVF. Both hemifield presentations included three semantic conditions: the words were either semantically associated, non-associated, or the target was a non-word. The participants began reading from the prime and then made a saccade towards the target, subsequently they judged the semantic association. Between 200 and 280ms from the fixation onset, an occipital P2 EFRP-component differentiated between parafoveal word and non-word stimuli when the parafoveal word appeared in the RVF. The results suggest that the extraction of parafoveal information is affected by attention, which is oriented as a function of reading direction. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Asymmetry, Parafoveal, processing, Visual hemifield, EEG, EFRP, N1, Reading, P2, Eye movements, Perceptual span
in
Brain and Language
volume
111
issue
2
pages
101 - 113
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000271664300003
  • scopus:70350302344
  • pmid:19782390
ISSN
1090-2155
DOI
10.1016/j.bandl.2009.08.004
project
Thinking in Time: Cognition, Communication and Learning
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
60f87955-d3e1-4bf0-853d-f9bad6959936 (old id 1474317)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:35:22
date last changed
2022-02-03 01:39:25
@article{60f87955-d3e1-4bf0-853d-f9bad6959936,
  abstract     = {{Readers acquire information outside the current eye fixation. Previous research indicates that having only the fixated word available slows reading, but when the next word is visible, reading is almost as fast as when the whole line is seen. Parafoveal-on-foveal effects are interpreted to reflect that the characteristics of a parafoveal word can influence fixation on a current word. Prior studies also show that words presented to the right visual field (RVF) are processed faster and more accurately than words in the left visual field (LVF). This asymmetry results either from an attentional bias, reading direction, or the cerebral asymmetry of language processing. We used eye-fixation-related potentials (EFRP), a technique that combines eye-tracking and electroencephalography, to investigate visual field differences in parafoveal-on-foveal effects. After a central fixation, a prime word appeared in the middle of the screen together with a parafoveal target that was presented either to the LVF or to the RVF. Both hemifield presentations included three semantic conditions: the words were either semantically associated, non-associated, or the target was a non-word. The participants began reading from the prime and then made a saccade towards the target, subsequently they judged the semantic association. Between 200 and 280ms from the fixation onset, an occipital P2 EFRP-component differentiated between parafoveal word and non-word stimuli when the parafoveal word appeared in the RVF. The results suggest that the extraction of parafoveal information is affected by attention, which is oriented as a function of reading direction.}},
  author       = {{Simola, Jaana and Holmqvist, Kenneth and Lindgren, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{1090-2155}},
  keywords     = {{Asymmetry; Parafoveal; processing; Visual hemifield; EEG; EFRP; N1; Reading; P2; Eye movements; Perceptual span}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{101--113}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Brain and Language}},
  title        = {{Right visual field advantage in parafoveal processing: Evidence from eye-fixation related potentials}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2009.08.004}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.bandl.2009.08.004}},
  volume       = {{111}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}