One does not Simply RSVP: Mental Workload to Select Speed Reading Parameters using Electroencephalography

Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) has gained popularity as a method for presenting text on wearable devices with limited screen space. Nonetheless, it remains unclear how to calibrate RSVP display parameters, such as spatial alignments or presentation rates, to suit the reader's information processing ability at high presentation speeds. Existing methods rely on comprehension and subjective workload scores, which are influenced by the user's knowledge base and subjective perception. Here, we use electroencephalography (EEG) to directly determine how individual information processing varies with changes in RSVP display parameters. Eighteen participants read text excerpts with RSVP in a repeated-measures design that manipulated the Text Alignment and Presentation Speed of text representation. We evaluated how predictive EEG metrics were of gains in reading speed, subjective workload, and text comprehension. We found significant correlations between EEG and increasing Presentation Speeds and propose how EEG can be used for dynamic selection of RSVP parameters.