Using eye-tracking to study the reading pattern of subtitles and cognitive load in video game players. A pilot study.

Subtitles have long been investigated in the field of audio-visual translation as a potential source of Cognitive Overload (SWELLER, 1988; SWELLER & CHANDLER, 1991). If literature tends to confirm that films with subtitles do not cause any Cognitive Overload, and could sometimes improve learning, (BARANOWSKA, 2020), no studies have been conducted evaluating the effect and relevance of subtitles in video games. There would be much to be found on the needs of video games players, particularly with the focus of accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing audiences who need subtitles to follow the dialogues. To investigate the effect of the interaction variable, we conducted an experiment which uses eye-tracking to measure the fixation times and follow the movement of the pupil of five male subjects who were familiar with video games and have observed a significative behavioural difference between sequences with and without interaction, as subjects were all ignoring the subtitles at the bottom of the screen when active in gameplay. This preliminary study shows promising results that need confirmation by a larger study with a larger sample size and more diversity in the background of the subjects.