Parallel word processing in text reading: exploring cross-linguistic differences with the MECO corpus

How is attention distributed during reading? Using the MECO corpus, we report a first test of Parafoveal-on-Foveal (PoF) effects of orthographic overlap as a window on attention in natural reading settings. In contrast to previous studies, cross-linguistic comparisons across four alphabetic languages (English, Spanish, Finnish, Russian) revealed no uniform pattern: the well-established orthographic PoF effect from word N + 1 emerged only in Finnish and under specific constraints. More fine-grained analyses, testing orthographic overlap effects at different eccentricities showed significant effects for English and Finnish extending beyond word N + 1, especially around areas likely to comprise an inter-word space. Most of these effects were non-linear, reflecting both facilitation and disruption, depending on the extent of orthographic overlap. These results illustrate that, although PoF effects of orthographic overlap are decidedly more fragile in natural text reading, they still prevail with decidedly lower amounts of overlap and without artificial manipulations that may inadvertently bias attention.