refixation

Refixation is a term used in reading research and eye-tracking to describe the phenomenon of making more than one fixation on the same word or location during a reading episode. It can occur during the initial pass over a sentence or on a subsequent re-reading pass, and it is distinct from regressions, which are backward eye movements to earlier text.

In typical measurements, refixation is quantified in terms of refixation probability (the likelihood that a word receives multiple fixations) and refixation duration (the additional time spent on the word during subsequent fixations). Researchers may report within-word refixations (on the same word in subsequent fixations) and may analyze patterns across word type, position, and context.

Refixations tend to be more common for words that are difficult to process, such as long, low-frequency, or morphologically complex words, or in sentences with syntactic ambiguity or high processing load. They are also influenced by reader characteristics, including language proficiency, reading skill, and age.

The study of refixation informs theories of eye-movement control during reading. It provides evidence about how readers allocate attention, how lexical and syntactic processing unfolds, and how models of reading account for multiple fixations on the same material. Insights from refixation analyses contribute to understanding reading difficulties, second-language reading, and the design of reading materials and literacy interventions.