This research will explore the role of the context provided by one sentence in recognition of the words in the following sentence during silent reading. The experiments will investigate specific characteristics of the preceeding sentence context that might influence the recognition of individual words during reading. Skilled adult readers will read simple sentences presented on a computer screen, and their eye movements will be recorded as they read. The research will use information from their eye movements and the time they take to name each word to determine the influence of the context in which a word occurs on the identification of that word. The purpose of the research is to develop a more complete model of how words are identified during skilled reading and to further our understanding of the reading process in general. By understanding skilled reading, we will be better equipped to evaluate reading disability, to assist dyslexic and disabled readers trying to cope with their reading problems, and to design methods of reading instruction and remediation.
