Effects of negative emotional valence on readers’ text processing and memory for text: an eye-tracking study

Abstract Comprehension of stories requires readers to take the perspective story characters and imagine or feel their cognitive affective states. The study investigated how variations in emotional valence within a literary text affected readers’ global processing, as reflected eye movements during first second-pass reading, memory for text. Processes reading were also examined relation dispositional empathy. Undergraduate students (N = 42) assigned an emotionally negative neutral condition. They read natural passage from suspense while ocular behavior was registered. After they responded multiple-choice questions assessing Results revealed longer first-pass fixation times content evoking emotions than content, which could be suggestive more analytical processing former. These effects however local did not impact at level. Memory accurate content. Dispositional empathy contribute processes outcome. Findings are discussed against mixed results current literature practical implications outlined.