What Is the Difference? Rereading Shakespeare's Sonnets -An Eye Tracking Study.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Literary Studies
• Psycholinguistics

Background:

• Most rereading studies focus on expository texts, neglecting literary works like poetry.
• Literary texts, particularly poetry, may be reread more frequently than other text types.
• A gap exists in understanding the cognitive processes involved in rereading poetry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of rereading on the comprehension and appreciation of literary texts, specifically Shakespeare's sonnets.
• To analyze eye movement patterns during the first and second readings of poetry.
• To determine if psycholinguistic features influencing reading behavior change upon text repetition.

Main Methods:

• Participants reread two of Shakespeare's sonnets.
• Eye movements were recorded during both initial and repeated readings.
• Comprehension and appreciation were assessed using questionnaires after each reading session.

Main Results:

• Rereading significantly enhanced reading fluency, evidenced by shorter reading times and fewer regressions.
• Depth of comprehension improved with rereading.
• Appreciation did not increase upon rereading, contrary to some previous studies on literary texts.
• Predictive modeling indicated that eye movements were consistently controlled by psycholinguistic features, unaffected by repetition.

Conclusions:

• Rereading poetry enhances reading efficiency and understanding.
• Appreciation of poetry may not be enhanced through simple repetition.
• Reading behavior, even with poetry, is primarily governed by text-based features rather than the act of rereading itself.