Does the Timing of Visual Support Affect Sentence Comprehension? An Eye-Tracking Study

Purpose: Recent research suggests that visual elements improve sentence processing for students, even at the university level. However, few studies have systematically examined the timing of visual support in reading. Method: We examined the impact of visual support and its timing on sentence compre...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Rivero Contreras, Miriam, Engelhardt, Paul E., Delgado Herrera, Pablo, Saldaña Sage, David
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/152356
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/152356
https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2023.2287444
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Eye movements
image timing
sentence processing
visual support
Descripción
Sumario:Purpose: Recent research suggests that visual elements improve sentence processing for students, even at the university level. However, few studies have systematically examined the timing of visual support in reading. Method: We examined the impact of visual support and its timing on sentence comprehension in a sample of 40 typically developing university students. Across 60 sentences, half with images and half without, participants either viewed images simultaneously with sentences or before sentences. Word frequency was also manipulated. Results: Results showed that visual support facilitated sentence processing and that participants who viewed images before sentences exhibited a lower probability of regressions. Conclusion: In conclusion, incorporating images with text can benefit language comprehension. Moreover, the results suggest implications regarding the timing of visual support.