Reading dynamic Chinese text on the go.

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that dynamic displays during rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) privilege temporal rather that spatial information in overcoming the limits of small screens. Such studies have been conducted under stationary or idealized conditions using conventional desktop-paradigm evaluation strategies, resulting in deficient understandings of how changes in motion affect users' ability to perform effectively. This study examined the impact of two important dynamic display factors on the reading comprehension achieved by participants while walking on a predefined path and standing: word-by-word and one-line presentation formats and presentation rates of 182, 232, 282, and 332 characters per minute (cpm). The results of this study showed that an RSVP display can represent an alternative for reading textual information when a word-by-word format is presented with a 332-cpm presentation rate. When the one-line presentation format is used, however, a lower presentation rate of 282 cpm should be chosen. Future research should attempt to simulate real life more closely and explore the effects of the multiple functions performed by various RSVP displays on reading comfort and comprehension.