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• 33 Seibert, Lari '/illiam, 1303-
1943 Reading reactions for varied types cf
•34 subject matter: an analytical study of
the eye movements of eighth grade pupils
... Hew York, 1943.
xiv,233 typewritten leaves. tables
(part fold.) diagrs.,forms. 23cm.
Thesis (Ph.D.) - Uew York university,
School of education, 1S43.
Bibliography: p. 176-189.
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Xerox University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106
THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED.
'luoais accepted
JAN 22 1943
Date.
READING reactions for varied types of SUBJECT MATTERS
AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE EYE MOVEMENTS
OF EIGHTH GRADE PUPILS
EARL WILLIAM SEIBERT
Submitted In partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy in the School of Education of
New York University
1943
PLEASE NOTE:
Some pages may have
indistinct print.
Filmed as received.
University Microfilms, A Xerox Education Company
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Investigator takes this opportunity to express his
sincere appreciation to the members of his sponsoring commit
tee: Professors Ernest R. Wood, Chairman, Earl R. Gabler, and
Alonzo F. Myers, for their help with this problem.
Appreciation is also expressed to Superintendent of
Sohools, Wayne R. Parmer, and to the principals and teachers
of Sobool Number Seven and of sohool Number Eight, Belleville,
New Jersey, for their cooperation in providing the subjects
for this investigation, to the American Optical Company, New
York, New York, for the use of the Ophthalm-O-Graph, and to
Earl A. Taylor for his criticisms and helpful suggestions.
Earl William Seibert
AST*!4
ii
TABLE OP CONTENTS
Chapter Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..................................... ii
I, INTRODUCTION................................... 1
Statement of the Problem..................... 1
Purpose of the Study........................ 1
Delimitation of the Study................... 1
Significance of the Problem................. 2
Summary...................................... 10
II. HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE PROBLEM................ 11
Investigations in Perception of Letters,
Words, and Phrase ............ 11
Researches in Eye Movements Since 1917....... 16
A New Emphasis in Research in Eye Movements.. 28
S u m m a r y 30
III. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE.......................... 31
Selection of Subjects....... 31
Selection of Reading Material............... 34
Sources of the Selected Material............. 37
Printing of Paragraph Selections............. 38
The Instrument Used for Photographing Eye
Movements.......... 39
Procedure in Obtaining Eye-Movement Records.. 41
Measures Used for Each of the Selections Read 42
Comprehenslon Requirement........ 43
The Discriminating Value of Test Items....... 43
Students1 Preferences and Dislikes of Fields
of Subject Matter.................. 44
Previous Reading of the Paragraph Selections. 48
Pupil Rating of Selections....... 48
Summary.......................... •••••••... 49
IV. RESULTS OF READING SIX 300-WORD SELECTIONS 51
Introduction................................. 51
Re-Statement of the Purpose......... 51
Comparing Data for 60 Subjects on Several
Measures for Selections of Six Different
Types of Subject Matter.................... 52
iii
TABLE OP CONTENTS (CONT.)
Chapter
Fixati one.................................. 52
Regressions......... 58
Duration of fixation........................ 67
Span of Recognition. ....................... 73
Rate of Reading.............................. 80
Comprehension Scores......................... 87
Relationship between Comprehension and Rate
of Reading..................... 91
Relationship between Comprehension and Eye-
Movement Measures...................... 98
Inter-Relationships between Various Measures.100
Summary.• . 1 0 3
V. RESULTS WHEN MEASURES WERE BASED ON DIFFERENT
PARTS OF SELECTIONS............................ 109
Introdn ctlon................................ 109
Fixations................................... 109
Regressions.............. 190
Duration of Fixation........................ 130
Span of Recognition. ................ 138
Rate of Reading............................. 148
Summary• • . 1 5 8
VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .................. 167
S u m m a r y 167
Conclusions ............ 172
Recommendations for Further Investigation....174
BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................... 176
APPENDIX 190
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
I Belleville Test Averages and National Norma 31
II Identity of Subjects vith Respect to Sex and
Intelligence Quotient and Percentile Rank
ing on California Test of Mental Maturity*... 33
III The Number of Sentenoes In Each 300-Word Seleotion 34
IV The Average Words-per-Sentence In Each 300-Word
Selection. ........ 35
V Percentage of the 300 Words In Bach of the Six
Selections According to Thorndikefs Classi
fication .... ••*. 36
VI Group Likes and Dislikes in Types of Subject
Matter********............. *............... 45
VII Preference of Reading Adventure or Biography*...• 46
VIII Best Liked and Least Liked of Subjects.•»*.*...•• 47
IX Statement of Difficulty of Subjects.*.* •••• 47
X Number of Subjects That Read the Paragraph
Selections Previous to the Experiment...... 48
XI Pupil Rating of Selections*. ...... *........... 49
XII Mean Number of Fixations for 60 Subjects*..*••••• 54
XIII Difference In Number of Fixations Between
Selections. ....... •*••••• 55
XIV The Range In Average Number of Fixations per
100 Words for Each Selections *.*••••• 56
XV Subjects with Maximum and Minimum Variation is
Average Number of Fixations per 100 Words.*.• 57
LIST OF TABLES (Continued)
Table Page
XVI Distribution of Standard Deviations of Number
of Fixations per 100 Words for all Subjeots
on all Selections .........• •••..... 59
XVII Mean Number of Regress&6ns for 60 Subjects • • 60
XVIII Difference In Number of Regressions Between
S e l e c t i o n s . 61
XIX The Range in Average Number of Regressions per
100 Words for Each Selections................. 62
XX Record of Subject 2 Showing Small Range In
Number of Regressions and Fixations.••••••••• 65
XXI Record of Subject 13 Showing Small Range In
Number of Regressions and Fixations..... 65
XXII Showing Wide Ranges in Number of Regressions and
Fixations for Individual Subjects ••••••• 66
XXIII Distribution of Standard Deviations of Number of
Regressions Per 100 Words for all Subjects
on All Selections......... 67
XXIV Mean Duration of Fixation for 60 Subjects 68
XXV Difference in Duration of Fixation Between
Selections. .......... ••••• 69
XXVI The Range in Average Duration of Fixation for
Each Selection............... 71
XXVII Distribution of Standard Deviations of Average
Duration of Fixation for All Subjects on All
Selections ..... 72
XXVIII Records of Subjects Having Maximum and Minimum
Range in Average Duration of Fixation on All
Selections 72
XXIX Mean Span of Recognitiondtf 60 Subjects......... 74
XXX Difference in Span of Recognition Between
Selections.. ............ 75
vi
LIST OP TABIES (Continued)
Table Page
XXXI The Range In Average Span of Recognition for
Each Selection............ ...... 76
XXXII The Range Between Maximum and Minimum Average
Span of Recognition for Four Subjects.......... 77
XXXIII Distribution of Standard Deviations of Average
Span of Recognition for All Subjects on All
Selections.................. ....... 78
XXXIV Record of Subject 16 for Fixations, Regressions
Rate, Duration of Fixation, Span of Recognition
and Comprehension. .................. 79
XXXV Record of Subject 41 for Fixations, Regressions,
Rate, Duration of Fixation, Span of Recognition
and Comprehension. ............ • • • • «...... 81
XXXVI Mean Rate of Reading for 60 Subjects.......••••• 82
XXXVII Difference in Rate of Reading Between Selections. 83
XXXVIII The Range in Average Reading Rate for Each
Selection .................. 84
XXXIX Highest and Lowest Range of Maximum and Minimum
Reading Rate on Six Selections for Individual
Subjects.•••••.•••• ............ 85
XL Distribution of Standard Deviations of Rate of
Reading in Words Per Minute for All Subjects
on All Selections. .......... •••••••...... 86
XLI Mean Comprehension Scores for 60 Subjects.••••••• 88
XLII Difference in Comprehension Scores Between Selec
tions.......................... 89
XLIII The Range in Comprehension Scores for Each Selec
tion.................. .......... ......... . 90
XLIV Comparison of Group Averages on Five Measures
with Group Averages on Comprehension 99
vii
