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Updated: Feb 8, 2026
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Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory
Published on: August 15, 2010
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Viewers can keep up with fast subtitles: Evidence from eye movements
Agnieszka Szarkowska1,2, Olivia Gerber-Morón3
1Centre for Translation Studies, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Plos One
|June 20, 2018
Summary
Viewers can keep up with fast subtitles, even in unfamiliar languages. Slower subtitles can cause frustration and reduce enjoyment, suggesting current subtitling practices may need updating for better viewer experience.
Area of Science:
- Audiovisual Studies
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Linguistics
Background:
- Growing consumption of subtitled content has led to faster subtitle speeds.
- Optimal subtitle speed remains a debated topic in media accessibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate viewer comprehension and engagement with varying subtitle speeds.
- To determine if language familiarity and subtitling experience affect subtitle processing.
- To provide empirical data for optimizing subtitling practices.
Main Methods:
- 74 participants (English, Polish, Spanish) viewed films with subtitles at 12, 16, and 20 characters per second.
- Films were presented in either an unknown language (Hungarian) or a familiar language (English).
- Measures included comprehension, cognitive load, recognition (scene/subtitle), preference, enjoyment, and eye gaze analysis.
Main Results:
- Most viewers successfully processed fast subtitles and visual content simultaneously.
- Slow subtitles led to increased re-reading, frustration, and decreased enjoyment, especially with familiar language content.
- Faster subtitles with full text were preferred for English content, while edited-down text was preferred for Hungarian content.
Conclusions:
- Current subtitling practices may not be optimal, as slow subtitles can hinder viewer experience.
- Faster subtitle speeds, with appropriate text adaptation, can enhance viewer processing and enjoyment.
- Findings support revising subtitling standards for more efficient audiovisual content consumption.
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