Speed Reading Eye Movement Control Flashcards

During which part of the eye movement cycle does the brain actually take in visual information from text?

Answer: During fixations, when the eyes are briefly still

Visual intake occurs almost entirely during fixations because vision is suppressed while the eyes are in saccadic motion.

A reader averages 250 milliseconds per fixation and makes 8 fixations per line. Which change would most directly increase reading speed?

Answer: Widening the visual span to reduce fixations per line

Taking in more words per fixation reduces the total number of fixations, directly cutting time spent per line.

What is the term for the quick right-to-left eye movement made when jumping from the end of one line to the start of the next?

Answer: Return sweep

The return sweep is the large leftward saccade that carries the eyes from a line's end to the next line's beginning.

Frequent regressions during reading most commonly indicate what?

Answer: Habitual re-reading or lapses in comprehension confidence

Regressions are backward eye movements usually caused by habit or uncertainty rather than genuine comprehension need.

Which tool or technique is most directly used to train smoother, forward-only eye movements?

Answer: Using a pacer such as a finger, pen, or card

A pacer guides the eyes forward at a set rhythm, discouraging regressions and erratic fixations.

The small central region of the retina that provides the sharp vision needed to identify words is called the:

Answer: Fovea

The fovea delivers the high-acuity vision required for word recognition, which is why the eyes must fixate on text.

Why do skilled readers avoid fixating on the very first and last words of each line?

Answer: Peripheral vision can capture line edges, so indenting fixations saves time

By starting and ending fixations slightly inside the margins, readers let peripheral vision handle edge words and reduce fixation count.