Parallel Word Processing in Text Reading: Exploring Cross-linguistic Differences with the MECO Corpus

How many words does the reading brain process in parallel? We used the Multilingual Eye-movement COrpus (MECO) to investigate the distribution of visuo-spatial attention during natural text reading via orthographic parafoveal-on-foveal effects. Fixation durations were analysed as a function of the amount of orthographic overlap between the foveated word and parafoveal regions of text. The results suggest that attention may extend beyond the upcoming word (N+1), especially around the areas that are the most likely to comprise an inter-word space. Cross-linguistic comparisons between four different alphabetic languages further imply that the scope of attention during reading is not universal, and is instead dependent on, e.g., the average word length and other properties of individual orthographies. Furthermore, not all languages show linear effects, and instead reflect a combination of facilitation and disruption, depending on where in the visual field the orthographic overlap occurs and how high this overlap is.