# Predicting Text Readability from Scrolling Interactions

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.06354 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.06354/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 3 of its 61 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 13 May 2021.

## Builds on (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Text Readability Assessment for Second Language Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1906.07580/) (2019)
- [Supervised and Unsupervised Neural Approaches to Text Readability](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.11779/) (2019)
- [STARC: Structured Annotations for Reading Comprehension](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2004.14797/) (2020)

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [On the Ethical Considerations of Text Simplification](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.09565/) (2022)
- [Do Text Simplification Systems Preserve Meaning? A Human Evaluation via Reading Comprehension](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.10126/) (2023)
- [Digital Comprehensibility Assessment of Simplified Texts among Persons with Intellectual Disabilities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.13094/) (2024)
- [Eye Tracking Based Cognitive Evaluation of Automatic Readability Assessment Methods](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.11150/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Judging the readability of text has many important applications, for instance when performing text simplification or when sourcing reading material for language learners. In this paper, we present a 518 participant study which investigates how scrolling behaviour relates to the readability of a text. We make our dataset publicly available and show that (1) there are statistically significant differences in the way readers interact with text depending on the text level, (2) such measures can be used to predict the readability of text, and (3) the background of a reader impacts their reading interactions and the factors contributing to text difficulty.