The effects of topic interest and prior knowledge on readers' cognitive processing of text.
Item
-
Title
-
The effects of topic interest and prior knowledge on readers' cognitive processing of text.
-
Identifier
-
AAI9000064
-
identifier
-
9000064
-
Creator
-
Sacks, Joanne.
-
Contributor
-
Adviser: Sigmund Tobias
-
Date
-
1989
-
Language
-
English
-
Publisher
-
City University of New York.
-
Subject
-
Education, Curriculum and Instruction
-
Abstract
-
The purpose of this study was to examine the processes by which interest interacts with student's prior knowledge and to measure the impact of interest and prior knowledge on reader's allocation of attention to text.;A total of 55 seventh and eighth grade male students, drawn from a larger sample (N = 123) on the basis of topic interest and prior knowledge participated in this study. Students were recruited from eight Catholic Parochial schools located in the New York City area and screened to assure that each participant was reading at or above an 8th grade level.;Students participated in two experimental sessions. During Session I an interest inventory and prior knowledge pretest were administered. Session II (conducted one week later) entailed an individual administration of four text passages corresponding to four experimental conditions; (1) high topic interest and high domain knowledge, (2) high topic interest and low domain knowledge, (3) low topic interest and low domain knowledge, and (4) low topic interest and high domain knowledge. Following each text reading a multiple choice posttest and post-interest rating scale were given. A secondary-task probe was used to investigate the amount of attention students devoted to texts of differing knowledge and interest levels. At the completion of the experiment students were administered a Cognitive Processes questionnaire to examine the processes by which interest activates or influences students' prior knowledge.;Results indicated that students' posttest scores were significantly better for high interest compared to low interest passages. No significant comprehension differences were found for students reading passages for which they had differing prior knowledge levels. Students reading high prior knowledge texts had significantly faster response times to the secondary-task probe than when reading low prior knowledge texts. No reaction time differences were revealed for students reading passages with differing levels of interest.;Analyses of the Cognitive Processes questionnaire indicated that students generated more thoughts or cognitions relating to the text topic when reading high interest compared to low interest passages. Research views concerning the variables that effect reading performance, and the importance and influence of affective processes on student's text comprehension are discussed. Implications for future research are described.
-
Type
-
dissertation
-
Source
-
PQT Legacy Restricted.xlsx
-
degree
-
Ph.D.