E-Z Reader: an overview of the model and two recent applications

In this chapter we review what is known about eye movements during reading and describe a computational model that simulates many of the perceptual, cognitive, and motor processes that guide readers’ eye movements—the E-Z Reader model. We discuss how the model is being used to examine two fundamental questions related to reading: (1) What mediates the development of reading skill? (2) What is the time course of lexical processing? Simulations using the model suggest that very rapid lexical processing is necessary for skilled reading and that this processing must also be highly coordinated with other ongoing perceptual, cognitive, and motor processes. Thus a significant portion of the lexical processing of a word is completed while it is still in the parafovea (prior to the word being fixated). The implications of these conclusions are discussed, as are future directions in modeling the cognitive processes that control eye movements during reading.