Does the Selective Bolding of Characters Within Words Improve Reading Performance in Skilled Adult Readers? Evidence from Eye Movementsdoes the Selective Bolding of Characters Within Words Improve Reading Performance in Skilled Adult Readers? Evidence from Eye Movements

AbstractReading is core to functioning in our daily lives. Therefore, it is not surprising that numerous tools have been developed to help maximize reading efficiency in both skilled and less skilled readers. In this registered report, we examined the potential of selective bolding of characters within words to improve reading performance in a sample of 90 skilled readers. Building on two pilot studies, we compared reading comprehension, word skipping, landing positions, target word reading times, and sentence reading times under two bolding conditions (start bolded and middle bolded) with an unbolded condition, where sentences contained a four- or eight-letter target word. Based on pilot results, we expected to observe effects of bolding on landing positions within words, but not on comprehension or reading time measures. Results indicated that selective bolding shifted initial landing positions closer to the start of words for longer words. However, this did not translate into performance gains, as we found no evidence for differences in word skipping, word reading times, or overall sentence reading times and comprehension. Ultimately, these results indicate that the selective bolding of characters within words does not facilitate more efficient word identification or enhance overall reading performance in skilled adult readers.