The Effect of Word Length and Font type on Eye Movement (Fixation, Saccade, Regression) During Reading Familiar and Unfamiliar Passages

The main purpose of this study was to determine the effects of word length and font type of eye movement (fixation, saccade, regression) during reading Persian familiar and unfamiliar passages. 29 female students of Shahid Beheshti University Education & Psychology Faculty participated in this study. Stimuli consisted of four different texts consisting of familiar text-lotus font, familiar-pen font, unfamiliar text-lotus font and unfamiliar-pen font. For data collection, the SMI-RED-120Hz eye tracking device was used. Results showed that word length had a significant effect on eye movement (fixation, saccade) and also passage type (familiar and unfamiliar passages) had significant effects on eye movement (fixation, saccade, regression). Font type had no significant effect on eye movement (fixation, saccade, regression). But passages type had a significant effect on eye movement (fixation, saccade, regression), and interaction between word length variable and font type variable, and passages type had significant effects on eye movement. As a result, word length and font type, and passage type had an impact on eye movement.