Deux populations de refixations lors de la lecture de mots longs

Eye movements during reading are guided by the physical and lexical properties of words. The relative influence of each of these sources of information on the decision and metrics of refixations is currently under debate. The present experiment examines the role of these factors during the reading of isolated words of different lengths and frequency. The results suggest a primary role for physical factors such as word length and a secondary role for lexical factors such as frequency. The two populations of refixations were identified according to first fixation durations and differ in the moment they are planned, their metrics, and the moment lexical processes occur during exploration. For the majority of refixations, the decision is based on the length of the upcoming word integrated in the periphery, and is taken before the eyes land on it. Lexical processing can then be distributed over the two fixations. The second population (about 20 %) of refixations are planned during the first fixation on a word and correct an erroneous initial landing position. In this case lexical processes occur only on the second fixation.L’exploration oculaire pendant la lecture est influencée par les propriétés physiques et lexicales des mots. L’influence relative de chacune de ces sources d’information sur la décision d’effectuer une seconde fixation dans un mot, et sur la métrique de la saccade de refixation fait débat actuellement. L’expérience présente examine leur rôle dans la lecture de mots isolés de longueurs et de fréquences d’occurrence différentes. Si les résultats confirment le rôle crucial des propriétés physiques dans la décision et la métrique des refixations, et le rôle secondaire des propriétés lexicales, ils démontrent également l’existence de deux populations de refixations.Collins Thérèse, Doré Karine, Vergilino-Perez Dorine. Deux populations de refixations lors de la lecture de mots longs. In: L'année psychologique. 2006 vol. 106, n°1. pp. 5-22