Articlegold2007

The case for the visual span as a sensory bottleneck in reading

Gordon E. Legge · Sing Hang Cheung · Deyue Yu · Susana T. L. Chung · Daniel P. Owens

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Reading and Literacy Development Visual perception and processing mechanisms Ophthalmology and Visual Impairment Studies

Abstract

The visual span for reading is the number of letters, arranged horizontally as in text, that can be recognized reliably without moving the eyes. The visual-span hypothesis states that the size of the visual span is an important factor that limits reading speed. From this hypothesis, we predict that changes in reading speed as a function of character size or contrast are determined by corresponding changes in the size of the visual span. We tested this prediction in two experiments in which we measured the size of the visual span and reading speed on groups of five subjects as a function of either character size or character contrast. We used a "trigram method" for characterizing the visual span as a profile of letter-recognition accuracy as a function of distance left and right of the midline (G. E. Legge, J. S. Mansfield, & S. T. L. Chung, 2001). The area under this profile was taken as an operational measure of the size of the visual span. Reading speed was measured with the Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) method. We found that the size of the visual span and reading speed showed the same qualitative dependence on character size and contrast, reached maximum values at the same critical points, and exhibited high correlations at the level of individual subjects. Additional analysis of data from four studies provides evidence for an invariant relationship between the size of the visual span and RSVP reading speed; an increase in the visual span by one letter is associated with a 39% increase in reading speed. Our results confirm the visual-span hypothesis and provide a theoretical framework for understanding the impact of stimulus attributes, such as contrast and character size, on reading speed. Evidence for the visual span as a determinant of reading speed implies the existence of a bottom-up, sensory limitation on reading, distinct from attentional, motor, or linguistic influences.

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References

1998Eye movements in reading and information processing: 20 years of research.1980Toward an Interactive-Compensatory Model of Individual Differences in the Development of Reading Fluency 1970Interaction Effects in Parafoveal Letter Recognition 1975The span of the effective stimulus during a fixation in reading 1969Perceptual recognition as a function of meaningfulness of stimulus material.1908The Psychology and Pedagogy of Reading.1970Processes in word recognition 2001Psychophysics of reading

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2007Effect of letter spacing on visual span and reading speed 2005The effect of print size on reading speed in dyslexia 2010Comparing reading speed for horizontal and vertical English text 2007Developmental changes in the visual span for reading 2013Shorter Lines Facilitate Reading in Those Who Struggle 2008The significance of visual information processing in reading: Insights from hemianopic dyslexia

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