Predictability effects during reading comprehension are not modulated by a visuospatial working memory load.

Predictable words are processed more quickly than unpredictable words during reading, but how this predictability effect is modulated by working memory (WM) limitations is unclear. Two preregistered experiments tested whether the availability of visuospatial WM resources affects reading measures tha...

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Publicado en:Memory & Cognition Vol. 54; no. 6; pp. 2113 - 2128
Autor principal: Ito, Aine
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature Aug2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Aug2026
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      pub: Springer Nature
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        10.3758/s13421-026-01857-7
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        atl: Predictability effects during reading comprehension are not modulated by a visuospatial working memory load.
      aug:
        au: Ito, Aine
        affil: https://ror.org/01tgyzw49 Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies, National University of Singapore, Block AS5, 7 Arts Link, 117570, Singapore, Singapore
      su:
        Reading
        Task performance
        Eye movement measurements
        Intelligibility of speech
        Short-term memory
        Visual perception
        Space perception
        Time
      sug:
        subj:
          Reading
          Task performance
          Eye movement measurements
          Intelligibility of speech
          Short-term memory
          Visual perception
          Space perception
          Time
      keyword:
        Eye-tracking
        Prediction
        Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology
        Reading comprehension
        Self-paced reading
        Working memory
        Eye-tracking
        Prediction
        Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology
        Reading comprehension
        Self-paced reading
        Working memory
      ab: Predictable words are processed more quickly than unpredictable words during reading, but how this predictability effect is modulated by working memory (WM) limitations is unclear. Two preregistered experiments tested whether the availability of visuospatial WM resources affects reading measures that are sensitive to predictability (gaze duration and skipping probability in Experiment 1, and self-paced reading time in Experiment 2) in native English speakers. The analyses of all measures revealed main effects of predictability and WM load. Their interaction was significant in Experiment 2 but not in Experiment 1. A follow-up analysis on relative reading times in Experiment 2 revealed main effects of predictability and WM load but no interaction between the two, replicating Experiment 1. The apparent interaction in Experiment 2 was likely due to the WM load speeding the overall reading times and masking the predictability effect. Taken together, these findings demonstrate a robust effect of predictability under a cognitively demanding task and suggest that visuospatial WM resources are not necessary for computing probabilities of upcoming words during reading.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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