Comprehension processes and eye movement patterns in the reading of surprise-ending stories

Blanchard, Harry E.; Iran-Nejad, Asghar

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/31287 Copy

Description

Title

Comprehension processes and eye movement patterns in the reading of surprise-ending stories

Author(s)

• Blanchard, Harry E.
• Iran-Nejad, Asghar

Issue Date

1985-12

Keyword(s)

• eye movement patterns
• surprise ending
• comprehension process
• fixations

Date of Ingest

2012-05-30T17:43:02Z

Abstract

This study investigates the pattern of eye movements of skilled adult readers when encountering a surprise ending to a story. Subjects read three surprise-ending stories while their eye movements were being monitored. As a control condition, some of the stories they read gave the surprise away at the beginning. There was an increase in the number of fixations associated with rereading the surprising lines of the stories when compared to the same lines in the control condition. There was also a small increase in the mean duration of fixations on the surprising lines, but there was no change in mean saccade length. These results suggest that even the most global levels of processing must be considered as an influence on the eye movement control system.

Publisher

• Champaign, Ill. : University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Center for the Study of Reading.
• Cambridge, Mass. : Bolt Beranek and Newman, Inc.

Series/Report Name or Number

Center for the Study of Reading Technical Report ; no. 344

Type of Resource

text

Genre of Resource

Technical Report

Language

eng

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/31287

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 1985 Board of Trustees University of Illinois

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