Reading from multimedia materials: Benefits of non-congruent pictures on reading comprehension for dyslexic readers

Pictures are often integrated in digital learning materials with the purpose of enhancing learning. This mixed methods study uses quantitative eye-tracking data and qualitative data such as oral answers to discover whether characteristics of pictures influence patterns of text–picture transition in readers with (n=10) and without (n=14) dyslexia, and how reading comprehension is affected. Most participants attended to the picture with a “noncongruent with reality” motif early in the inspection process. Qualitative analysis of oral answers showed that retaining the gist of that specific picture led to more developed answers, even for the dyslexic group. Early attention to the picture thus gives readers a fair chance of starting with a holistic impression of the material to be processed.