Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026
05:54
Eye-tracking to Distinguish Comprehension-based and Oculomotor-based Regressive Eye Movements During Reading
Published on: October 18, 2018
On the launch-site effect for skipped words during reading
1Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany. kruegel@uni-potsdam.de
Vision Research
|May 18, 2010
Summary
The launch-site effect in reading is altered by word skipping. Skipping saccades shift landing positions leftward more than non-skipping ones, challenging range-error theories.
Area of Science:
- Oculomotor research
- Cognitive psychology
- Reading science
Background:
- The launch-site effect describes how where we land our eyes within a word during reading depends on how far away the previous fixation was.
- This oculomotor phenomenon is crucial for understanding reading behavior.
- Previous theories suggested it was due to errors in saccade range, the distance the eyes jump.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how word skipping, a common reading behavior, influences the launch-site effect.
- To test if the launch-site effect is solely explained by saccadic-range errors.
- To provide reliable data on landing positions during skipping versus non-skipping saccades.
Main Methods:
- Analyzing eye movement data during reading tasks.
- Comparing landing positions in skipping saccades versus non-skipping saccades.
- Employing an advanced algorithm to accurately estimate fixation locations, including mislocated ones.
Main Results:
- The launch-site effect is significantly modulated by word skipping.
- Skipping saccades exhibit a greater leftward shift in landing positions compared to non-skipping saccades at similar launch-site distances.
- These findings challenge the saccadic-range error hypothesis.
Conclusions:
- Word skipping plays a critical role in modulating oculomotor control during reading.
- The observed leftward shift in skipping suggests more complex mechanisms than simple range errors are at play.
- The study validates the reliability of new methods for analyzing fixation data in reading research.
Related Concept Videos
01:10Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon
The tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon is a cognitive experience characterized by a temporary inability to retrieve specific information from memory despite having a strong feeling of knowing the information. Although individuals cannot access the target word or detail, they frequently recall related elements, such as its initial letter, syllable count, or context. This partial retrieval often causes frustration, as one might recognize a familiar face or know that a name starts with a specific...
01:59Lagging Strand Synthesis
During replication, the complementary strands in double-stranded DNA are synthesized at different rates. Replication first begins on the leading strand. Replication starts later, occurs more slowly, and proceeds discontinuously on the lagging strand.
There are several major differences between synthesis of the leading strand and synthesis of the lagging strand. 1) Leading strand synthesis happens in the direction of replication fork opening, whereas lagging strand synthesis happens in the...
There are several major differences between synthesis of the leading strand and synthesis of the lagging strand. 1) Leading strand synthesis happens in the direction of replication fork opening, whereas lagging strand synthesis happens in the...
01:59Lagging Strand Synthesis
During replication, the complementary strands in double-stranded DNA are synthesized at different rates. Replication first begins on the leading strand. Replication starts later, occurs more slowly, and proceeds discontinuously on the lagging strand.
There are several major differences between synthesis of the leading strand and synthesis of the lagging strand. 1) Leading strand synthesis happens in the direction of replication fork opening, whereas lagging strand synthesis happens in the...
There are several major differences between synthesis of the leading strand and synthesis of the lagging strand. 1) Leading strand synthesis happens in the direction of replication fork opening, whereas lagging strand synthesis happens in the...
01:22Language Development
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
01:03Serial Position Effect
The serial position effect is a cognitive phenomenon where individuals are more likely to recall the first and last items in a list compared to those in the middle. This effect is divided into the primacy effect and the recency effect. The primacy effect is observed when the initial items in a list are remembered better. This occurs because these items are rehearsed more frequently or receive more elaborative processing, allowing them to be encoded into long-term memory more effectively. For...
01:25Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities are cognitive disorders caused by neurological impairments that affect cognitive functions like language and reading, without indicating overall intellectual or developmental challenges. These disabilities differ from global intellectual or developmental disabilities as they are limited to distinct cognitive functions. Common learning disabilities include dysgraphia, dyslexia, and dyscalculia, each of which impacts unique aspects of learning.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...