Coming Up Next: The Extent of the Perceptual Window in Comic Reading

TY - JOUR

T1 - Coming Up Next

T2 - The Extent of the Perceptual Window in Comic Reading

AU - Kirtley, Clare

AU - Murray, Christopher

AU - Vaughan, Phillip B.

AU - Tatler, Benjamin W.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Cognitive Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Cognitive Science Society (CSS).

PY - 2025/11

Y1 - 2025/11

N2 - Recent models of sequential narratives suggest that readers form predictions about upcoming panels as they read. However, previous work has considered these predictions only in terms of currently viewed information. In the current studies, we investigate to what extent readers are using information from un-fixated panels in comic stories. Using the moving-window paradigm, we studied whether reading behavior was disrupted when upcoming panels were unavailable to the reader, in short comic strips (Experiment 1) and multipage comics (Experiment 2). Both studies showed the greatest disruption to reading when all peripheral information was removed, but such changes persisted when only partial peripheral information was available. The results indicate that readers are making use of information from at least two panels ahead of the current fixation location. We consider these findings in relation to the PINS model of comic reading, and how the role of peripheral information might be further explored.

AB - Recent models of sequential narratives suggest that readers form predictions about upcoming panels as they read. However, previous work has considered these predictions only in terms of currently viewed information. In the current studies, we investigate to what extent readers are using information from un-fixated panels in comic stories. Using the moving-window paradigm, we studied whether reading behavior was disrupted when upcoming panels were unavailable to the reader, in short comic strips (Experiment 1) and multipage comics (Experiment 2). Both studies showed the greatest disruption to reading when all peripheral information was removed, but such changes persisted when only partial peripheral information was available. The results indicate that readers are making use of information from at least two panels ahead of the current fixation location. We consider these findings in relation to the PINS model of comic reading, and how the role of peripheral information might be further explored.

KW - Comics

KW - Eye-tracking

KW - Peripheral information

KW - Visual narratives

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105022314741

U2 - 10.1111/cogs.70142

DO - 10.1111/cogs.70142

M3 - Article

C2 - 41261841

AN - SCOPUS:105022314741

SN - 0364-0213

VL - 49

JO - Cognitive Science

JF - Cognitive Science

IS - 11

M1 - e70142

ER -