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We used eye tracking to investigate the downstream processing consequences of encountering noun/verb (NV) homographs (i.e., park) in semantically neutral but syntactically constraining contexts. Target words were followed by a prepositional phrase containing a noun that was plausible for only 1 meaning of the homograph. Replicating previous work, we found increased first fixation durations on NV homographs compared with unambiguous words, which persisted into the next sentence region. At the downstream noun, we found plausibility effects following ambiguous words that were correlated with the size of a reader’s first fixation effect, suggesting that this effect reflects the recruitment of processing ...

Since the 1980s, extensive research has been conducted comparing reading comprehension from printed text and computer screens. The conclusions, however, are not very consistent. As reading from computer screens requires a certain degree of individual technical skill, such variables should be objectively taken into consideration when conducting an experiment regarding the comparison between print and screen reading. This study analyses the difference in the level of understanding of the two presentational formats (text on printed pages and hypertext on computer screens) for people between 45−54 years of age (i.e. “middle-aged” adults). In our experimental findings there were no significant differences ...

Although digital texts are growing in popularity, few studies have systematically examined whether students can learn as well when reading a digital text, compared to reading a paperbound textbook. The present study examined several variables related to comprehension of digital versus paper textbooks, including text complexity, engagement with the text, and long-term retention. Seventy-four students, randomly assigned to read an entire chapter from either a paperbound text or its digital equivalent, completed a 20-item multiple-choice quiz immediately after reading and 1 week later. No differences in comprehension emerged across any variables except for a main effect of test time. More ...

The present thesis explores and discusses reading continuous text on small screens, namely on mobile devices, and aims at identifying a model capturing those factors that most influence the perceived experience of reading. The thesis also provides input for the user interface and content creation industries, offering them some direction as to what to focus on when producing interfaces intended for reading or text-based content that is likely to be read on a small display. The thesis starts with an overview of the special characteristics of reading on small screens and identifies, through existing literature, issues that may affect fluency and ...

The goal of this study is to examine the comprehension of global causal and temporal relations between events that are represented in single hypertext documents. In two experiments we examined how reading sequences of hypertext nodes affects the establishment of event relations and how this process can be supported by advanced organizers that provide either temporal or causal pre-information. In the first experiment we could show that discourse structure affected recall of temporal event sequences only when causal relations were absent. In a second experiment, the comprehension of either temporal or causal relations was facilitated by providing different types of ...

The goal of this study is to examine the comprehension of global causal and temporal relations between events that are represented in single hypertext documents. In two experiments we examined how reading sequences of hypertext nodes affects the establishment of event relations and how this process can be supported by advanced organizers that provide either temporal or causal pre-information. In the first experiment we could show that discourse structure affected recall of temporal event sequences only when causal relations were absent. In a second experiment, the comprehension of either temporal or causal relations was facilitated by providing different types of ...

Background. QuikScan (QS) is an innovative design that aims to improve accessibility, comprehensibility, and subsequent recall of expository text by means of frequent within-document summaries that are formatted as numbered list items. The numbers in the QS summaries correspond to numbers placed in the body of the document where the summarized ideas are discussed in full. Aim. To examine the influence of QS summaries on participants' perceptions of text quality (i.e., comprehensibility, structure, and interest) and recall, an experimental - control group design compared the effects of a QS text with a structured abstract (SA) text. Sample. Forty psychology students ...

Adding narrative information to school texts is supposed to enhance text appreciation and thereby text comprehension. However, previous research produced mixed results. We believe the inconclusiveness may be due to differences in the relatedness of the narrative content to the factual content. We examined the effects of presenting factual content in an expository or narrative genre on students’ text comprehension and appreciation. We distinguished two narrative versions on the basis of the degree of relatedness of the narrative content to the factual content. Furthermore, we investigated whether the effects of text genre on text comprehension are mediated by students’ appreciation, ...

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the effects of visual cues and language complexity on satisfaction and information recall using a personalised website for lung cancer patients. In addition, age effects were investigated. Methods: An experiment using a 2 (complex vs. non-complex language) 3 (text only vs. photograph vs. drawing) factorial design was conducted. In total, 200 respondents without cancer were exposed to one of the six conditions. Results: Respondents were more satisfied with the comprehensibility of both websites when they were presented with a visual cue. A significant interaction effect was found between language complexity and photograph use ...

Intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) that personalize instruction to individual learner background and preferences have emerged in K-16 classroom settings all over the world. In mathematics instruction, ITSs may be especially important for tracking mathematical skill development over time. However, recent research has pointed to the importance of text- based measures when solving mathematics word problems, suggesting that in order to accurately model the student it is important to understand how they respond to text characteristics. We investigate the impact of text-based factors (readability and problem topic) on the solving of mathematics story problems using a corpus of N = 3394 ...