Parafoveal Preview Benefits Magnified

This study investigated the impact of word-initial letters and contextual predictability on eye movements during reading. In two experiments, we manipulated the properties of target words in 2 ⨉ 2 within-subject designs, focusing on high- or low-constraining word-initial letter trigrams (e.g., dwarf or clown) that were embedded in high- or low-predictable contexts. Experiment 1 followed a normal reading paradigm, while Experiment 2 employed gaze-contingent magnification to enhance parafoveal text. We found that parafoveal magnification significantly augmented parafoveal processing, enabling word-initial letters and contextual predictability to interactively influence the prelexical activation of parafoveal targets. Our findings showed that the degree of parafoveal processing can be increased by perceptual magnification of preview information. This enhancement made orthographic information of the parafoveal target word accessible earlier, which in turn interacted with contextual factors to shape the graded activation of prelexical candidates for the target word. Our results demonstrate the utility and potential of parafoveal magnification as a novel tool for studying the temporal dynamics and attention allocation in parafoveal processing during reading.