Valdois-Phenix-2021

Authors: Sylviane Valdois, Thierry Phénix, Mathilde Fort & Julien Diard.

Article: Atypical viewing position effect in developmental dyslexia: A behavioural and modelling investigation.

Publication: Cognitive Neuropsychology (Taylor and Francis). Published online: 24 Nov 2021 2021 | DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2021.2004107

The probability of recognizing a word depends on the position of fixation during processing. In typical readers, the resulting word-recognition curves are asymmetrical, showing a left-of-centre optimal viewing position (OVP). First, we report behavioural results from dyslexic participants who show atypical word-recognition curves characterized by the OVP being right of centre with recognition probability being higher on the rightmost than on the leftmost letters. Second, we used BRAID, a Bayesian model of word recognition that implements gaze position, an acuity gradient, lateral interference and a visual attention component, to examine how variations in the deployment of visual attention would affect the OVP curves. We show that the atypical dyslexic curves are well simulated assuming a narrow distribution of visual attention and a shifting of visual attention towards the left visual field. These behavioural and modelling findings are discussed in light of current theories of visual attention deficits in developmental dyslexia.

Tagged as: visual attention span, visual processing, and visual word recognition

Citation:

Sylviane Valdois, Thierry Phénix, Mathilde Fort & Julien Diard (2021) Atypical viewing position effect in developmental dyslexia: A behavioural and modelling investigation, Cognitive Neuropsychology, DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2021.2004107