Subtitle reading effects on visual and verbal information processing in films

Watching a subtitled foreign film changes the way verbal information is presented and how we acquire it. Which are the implications for the acquisition and processing of visual and verbal information from a film scene when subtitles are present? To address this question we carried out an eye-tracking experiment. Participants watched a series of clips from an animated film. The task was to remember as much visual and verbal information as possible. Clips were presented in four different conditions in order to test the effect of presenting subtitles on the visual and verbal recall: (i) participants own language—no subtitles, (ii) participants own language—foreign language subtitles, (iii) foreign language—no subtitles, and (iv) foreign language—participants own language subtitles. Immediately after each clip, participants performed an oral free memory recall task and they answered a questionnaire about verbal information from the dialogues and visual information from elements showed in the clip. Scores from questionnaires and eye-movement data from areas of interest were later analysed. We observed that the presence of subtitles affects correct recall and eye movements. We discuss this effect as a function of verbal information presentation mode and subtitle’s language.

ECVP Abstract Supplement