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Visual Attention and Eye Movement Control During Reading and Picture Viewing

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Eye Movements and Visual Cognition

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Neuropsychology ((SSNEUROPSYCHOL))

Abstract

Experimental psychologists have known for some time that it is possible to allocate visual-spatial attention to one region of the visual field even as we maintain eye fixation on another region. As William James stated it, “…we may attend to an object on the periphery of the visual field and yet not accommodate the eye for it” (James, 1890/1950, p. 437). At the same time, experimental psychologists have also known that during the course of a complex visual task such as reading or picture viewing, our eyes move from one location to another at an average rate of 3 to 5 times per second (e.g., Rayner, 1978; Tinker, 1939; Yarbus, 1967). The question therefore arises how these covert and overt changes in processing focus are related. This is the question addressed in the present chapter.

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Authors
  1. John M. Henderson
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

    Keith Rayner

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© 1992 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Henderson, J.M. (1992). Visual Attention and Eye Movement Control During Reading and Picture Viewing. In: Rayner, K. (eds) Eye Movements and Visual Cognition. Springer Series in Neuropsychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2852-3_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2852-3_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7696-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-2852-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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