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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0PLOS One

The impact of test announcements on subtitle reliance and video comprehension: The role of vocabulary size and working memory

  • Jing Wang1
  • Yuxiao Yang2
  • Fei Chen3
  1. 1Foreign Studies College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
  2. 2Shicheng College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
  3. 3Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Abstract

This study investigates how test announcements affect subtitle reliance and video comprehension among Chinese learners of English, taking into account vocabulary size and working memory variances. Fifty-four participants were recruited in an eye-tracking experiment where they were divided into two groups: a group with a test announcement (TA) of the upcoming comprehension test and a group without (NTA). Results indicated that TA manifested significantly higher total duration of fixation and number of fixations, suggesting heightened subtitle reliance when participants were aware of the test. The average duration of fixation, however, remained similar between groups, implying a comparably minimal cognitive effort in processing L1 texts. For the comprehension test, TA exhibited significantly higher scores for the target video, indicating a positive role of test announcements for video comprehension. Moreover, working memory and vocabulary size were found to be negatively correlated with subtitle reliance only for the TA group, highlighting that these associations may be more evident under test-announcement conditions. These findings were discussed within cognitive theoretical frameworks, furnishing valuable implications for the psychological experiment design and L2 multimedia teaching.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{wang2026impact,
  title = {{The impact of test announcements on subtitle reliance and video comprehension: The role of vocabulary size and working memory}},
  author = {Jing Wang and Yuxiao Yang and Fei Chen},
  journal = {PLOS One},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0357500},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357500},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - The impact of test announcements on subtitle reliance and video comprehension: The role of vocabulary size and working memory
AU  - Jing Wang
AU  - Yuxiao Yang
AU  - Fei Chen
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/02
JO  - PLOS One
DO  - 10.1371/journal.pone.0357500
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357500
AB  - This study investigates how test announcements affect subtitle reliance and video comprehension among Chinese learners of English, taking into account vocabulary size and working memory variances. Fifty-four participants were recruited in an eye-tracking experiment where they were divided into two groups: a group with a test announcement (TA) of the upcoming comprehension test and a group without (NTA). Results indicated that TA manifested significantly higher total duration of fixation and number of fixations, suggesting heightened subtitle reliance when participants were aware of the test. The average duration of fixation, however, remained similar between groups, implying a comparably minimal cognitive effort in processing L1 texts. For the comprehension test, TA exhibited significantly higher scores for the target video, indicating a positive role of test announcements for video comprehension. Moreover, working memory and vocabulary size were found to be negatively correlated with subtitle reliance only for the TA group, highlighting that these associations may be more evident under test-announcement conditions. These findings were discussed within cognitive theoretical frameworks, furnishing valuable implications for the psychological experiment design and L2 multimedia teaching.
SN  - 1932-6203
ER  -