# An Eye-Tracking Study on Text Comprehension While Listening to Music: Preliminary Results
## 4 Discussion
### Visual Patterns in Text Comprehension
However, the findings did not support this hypothesis as no statistically significant differences were observed in the fixation duration and fixations count across all four conditions (preferred music, non-preferred music, cafe noise, and silence). Participants demonstrated consistent visual patterns irrespective of the auditory environment, indicating effective management of distractions and sustained visual focus. The findings contradict the predictions of the cognitive load theory, which states that auditory distractions increase cognitive demands, resulting in longer fixation duration and higher fixations count as readers process text more carefully [13; 35; 36]. For example, [PERSON] [13] found that challenging tasks, particularly those involving distractions, often require additional visual resources to overcome external challenges. However, the results are consistent with studies suggesting that predictable noise, such as cafe noise, exerts minimal impact on visual patterns compared to unpredictable or fluctuating auditory distractions [34]. The findings further corroborate the notion that individuals with experience in handling background noise or environments devoid of distractions possess the capacity to regulate their attention effectively [13]. The participants' inclination towards instrumental or low-distraction music (55.6%) and their frequent engagement in study activities accompanied by background music (40%), as shown in Table A2, are likely to have contributed to their ability to maintain consistent visual patterns. The observed discrepancy between the results and our initial hypothesis could be attributed to the relatively uncomplicated reading tasks used in this study, which did not impose a significant cognitive load on the participants. Additionally, the participants' familiarity with the auditory environments may have also reduced the impact of the distraction caused by non-preferred music and cafe noise. Therefore, H2 was not confirmed. According to H3, First Fixation Duration (FFD) is not expected to differ significantly across the four reading conditions. This prediction was based on the assumption that FFD, as a measure of initial visual engagement, reflects automatic, low-level processing that is less susceptible to external auditory distractions. FFD did not vary significantly across the four reading conditions, indicating that auditory distractions, such as non-preferred music and cafe noise, do not affect the participants' initial engagement with the text. These findings are consistent with those of the existing research. [PERSON] [13] claimed that FFD primarily represents automatic processes such as word recognition and attention allocation, which are robust against environmental distractions. In addition, [PERSON] et al. [22] found that FFD remains stable in predictable environments, such as those of cafe noise, where distractions are less intrusive. Furthermore, [PERSON] et al. [34] observed that low-level auditory distractions minimally influence early visual processing stages, though they may affect later cognitive engagement. Additionally, [PERSON] et al. [23] observed that FFD remains stable unless readers encounter significantly complex or unfamiliar text. Our results align with the broader consensus that FFD reflects low-level, automatic processing unaffected by auditory distractions in familiar or predictable environments. Therefore, H3 was confirmed and the findings suggest that FFD is a robust measure of early visual processing that remains stable across auditory conditions, particularly when tasks are relatively simple and readers are familiar with the auditory environment.