Eye Movements and Literary Reading
This project explores the utility of eye-tracking in the study of literary devices characteristic of both Modernist literature and the popular crime/thriller genre. Experimenters typically use simple texts of only a sentence or two rather than real literary texts. Our studies will increase scientific understanding of how authentic literary texts are read, as well as demonstrate the value of complementing theoretical claims about literary devices with empirical testing.
This project is in collaboration with Dr Emily Troscianko, Dr Karin Kukkonen, Dr Holly Joseph and Dr Titus von der Malsburg. It was initially funded by the St John's College Research Centre. You can find out more about our findings here.