Understanding the role of eye movement pattern and consistency in isolated English word reading through hidden Markov modelling

Abstract In isolated English word reading, readers have the optimal performance when their initial eye fixation is directed to the area between the beginning and word center, i.e., the optimal viewing position (OVP). Thus, how well readers voluntarily direct eye gaze to this OVP during isolated word reading may predict reading performance. Using Eye Movement analysis with Hidden Markov Models (EMHMM), we discovered two representative eye movement patterns during lexical decisions through clustering, which focused at the OVP and the word center respectively. Higher eye movement similarity to the OVP-focusing pattern predicted faster lexical decision time in addition to cognitive abilities and lexical knowledge. However, the OVP-focusing pattern was associated with longer isolated single letter naming time, suggesting conflicting visual abilities required for identifying isolated letters and multi-letter words. In pseudoword naming, higher consistency of the first fixation as measured in entropy predicted faster naming time in addition to cognitive abilities and lexical knowledge. In contrast, word naming performance was better predicted by lexical knowledge but not eye movement measures. Thus, developing a consistent eye movement pattern focusing on the OVP is essential for word orthographic processing and reading fluency. This finding has important implications for interventions for reading difficulties.