Ryan Ringer¹ (), Mia Jannika Lim¹, Carly Leonard¹; ¹University of Colorado, Denver

Reading proficiency relies on the intricate interplay between oculomotor behavior and attention to build a representation of the text in working memory. Reading-while-listening (RWL), in which reading is paired with an audio recording of the text, is frequently used both in and out of the classroom to help young readers and second-language learners develop this skill.  While some previous research has shown that RWL may aid comprehension, other studies suggest that supplemental auditory input may be interfering. For instance, if the rate of the auditory playback does not match reading speed, the text and recording would then become incongruous and potentially interfere with comprehension. Alternatively, any concurrent auditory processing could interfere with reading. Thus, the conditions in which RWL improves versus impairs reading performance remain an open question. The current study addresses this question by testing whether the audio playback speed of the text moderates reading comprehension and eye movement behavior. Twenty-four fluent English-speakers read eight passages on various topics while their eye movements were recorded. Participants heard audio recordings of passages at either slow (135 wpm), medium (180 wpm), or fast (225 wpm) playback speeds, as well as a silent condition. Passages were followed by multiple-choice questions to assess comprehension. The results showed the presence of auditory playback had several impacts on eye movement behavior. Relative to silent reading, mean fixation duration increased and words per minute decreased for all playback speeds, suggesting RWL reduced processing speeds. Saccade amplitude and word skipping decreased during RWL, suggesting a reduced perceptual span. Lastly, regression behavior increased significantly in the slow condition, suggesting either encoding was impaired or participants backtracked to maintain alignment. Nevertheless, reading comprehension was unaffected by RWL. These results indicate that, while RWL does not necessarily affect reading comprehension, it may interfere with visual processing and eye movement guidance.

Acknowledgements: This research was sponsored by the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, awarded to Mia Jannika Lim.