Noise-enhanced performance in reading

When we read a text, typical sequences of fixations on words form a rather complicated trajectory-almost like a random walk. This complex behaviour is the result of the interplay between lexical processing and programming of saccadic eye movements, the two processes that drive eye movements during reading. Stochastic fluctuations are present in both subsystems. We use a minimal three-state model with residence time-dependent transition probabilities to study the role of stochasticity. In particular, we investigate the influence of noise on reading time by numerical simulations. Our model suggests that performance in reading is enhanced by an intermediate level of noise in lexical processing. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.