Attention Allocation To The Right And Left Of A Fixated Word In Chinese Reading

The attention is a key factor in reading process. Researchers have done many studies on it. Currently, there are three main theories about the attention process in reading: E-Z reader model,attention—gradient hypothesis and attention attracter hypothesis. According to E-Z reader model, in reading, process that demands attention, i.e., familiarity checking and lexical completion, are confined to one word at a time. So this model predicts that neither a parafoveal word's familiarity nor its meaning can influence saccade programming. The other two theories maintain that allocation of attention is not necessarily confined to one word at a time. But there is still some. difference between attention—gradient hypothesis and attention attracter hypothesis. Attention—gradient hypothesis maintains that an attention gradient gives preferential processing to a fixated word, some attention may be allocated to spatially adjacent words as well. This will be at the expense of the fixated target, increasing its viewing duration. But according to attention attracter hypothesis, parafoveal processing difficult can attract attention, so it predicts that processing difficulties in the parafovea can decrease target viewing durations.The present paper explored the attention allocation to the right and left of a fixated word. The experiment tried to find evidence to support following theories: E-Z reader model, attention—gradient hypothesis and attention attracter hypothesis.In experiment 1, boundary technique was used to manipulate the information to the right of a fixed target. The results showed large increases in target viewing duration when orthographically illegal information was visible to the fight of the target. In experiment 2, boundary technique was used to manipulate the information to the left and right of a fixed target. The results showed large increases in target viewing duration when orthographically illegal information was visible to the left of the target. These results showed that the processing of orthographic information to the right and left of a fixed target can influence the processing of fixed word. Attention can allocate to more than one word prior to saccade programming.