Are the differences between intra-line and return-sweep fixation durations driven by linguistic, oculomotor, or visual processing? A comparison of eye movements during reading and z-string scanning

Bibliographic Data

ID21641332
AuthorsA J Parker (0000-0002-1367-2282, University College London, corresponding author), Muchan Tao (Language Science (South Korea)), Martin R Vasilev (0000-0003-1944-8828, University College London)
Year2025
Volume32
Issue6
Pages3055-3066
Publication date2025-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychonomic Bulletin & Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1069-9384 • E-ISSN: 1531-5320
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.3758/s13423-025-02738-x
PMID40715683
OpenAlexW4412707530
LanguageEN
References cited42

Return-sweeps, which move the reader’s gaze from the end of one line to the beginning of the next, typically result in shorter line-final fixations and longer accurate line-initial fixations compared to intra-line fixations. The mechanisms underlying these differences have been the subject of debate. To assess the linguistic and oculomotor contributions to these return-sweep fixation differences, we compared the eye movements of 41 participants during reading and z-string scanning, an oculomotor control condition that is devoid of useful linguistic content. Our results indicate that line-final fixations are shorter than intra-line fixations, while accurate line-initial fixations are longer than intra-line fixations, under both tasks, underscoring the significant role of the oculomotor system in determining fixation durations across tasks. Notably, the reduction in line-final fixation durations compared to intra-line fixations did not differ between tasks. This suggests that oculomotor coordination or visual processing, rather than linguistic processing, drives shorter line-final fixations. In contrast, the difference in the increase in duration for accurate line-initial fixations between reading and z-string scanning implies that longer accurate line-initial fixations are likely a result of lexical processing, oculomotor coordination, and visual processing. These findings advance our understanding of eye movement control by highlighting the combined influence of linguistic and oculomotor processes on return-sweep fixation durations

Audiology · Cognitive psychology · Eye movement · Geometry · Linguistics · Perception · Physics · Visual processing · Communication · Gaze Tracking and Assistive Technology · Neuroscience · Psychology · Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes · Visual perception and processing mechanisms

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