Line breaks in subtitling: an eye tracking study on viewer preferences.

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Media Studies
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Subtitling guidelines often conflict with real-world implementation regarding line breaks.
• Viewer preferences for subtitle line breaks, particularly concerning syntactic units, are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate viewer preferences for syntactically segmented versus non-syntactically segmented subtitles.
• To examine how individual differences in syntactic processing, hearing status, and subtitling experience influence these preferences.

Main Methods:

• Eye-tracking experiments were conducted while participants viewed images with subtitles.
• Participants rated subtitle pairs, choosing between syntactically segmented and non-syntactically segmented versions.
• Studies included diverse linguistic groups (English, Spanish, Polish) and hearing statuses (hearing, hard of hearing, deaf).

Main Results:

• Viewers consistently preferred subtitles with line breaks that align with syntactic structures (syntactic segmentation).
• Eye-tracking data revealed differential processing of linguistic units based on category and participant profile.
• Preferences were observed across different languages and hearing statuses, though processing varied.

Conclusions:

• Syntactically segmented line breaks in subtitles enhance viewer experience and comprehension.
• Understanding viewer preferences and processing differences is crucial for improving subtitling standards.
• Future research should explore the impact of these findings on subtitling technology and accessibility.