Meyer, B. J. F., Talbot, A. P., & Florencio, D. (1999). Reading rate and prose retrieval. Scientific Studies of Reading, 3(4), 303-329.

Meyer, B.; Talbot, A.; Florencio, D.

1999

Meyer, B. J. F., Talbot, A. P., & Florencio, D. (1999). Reading rate and prose retrieval. Scientific Studies of Reading, 3(4), 303-329.

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This research studies the theory that limitations in working memory pose a lower limit to reading rate under conditions designed to elicit prose recall. Two studies are documented in this article. Study 1 investigates 3 presentation rates for college students to determine effects of imposing reading speeds below and above "optimal" reading rates. The results indicate that although efficiency increases with reading rate, prose retrieval decreases. Contrary to predictions of this lower limits theory, the slowest rate generated an increase in prose retrieval and a high rating of desirability by readers. Study 2 addresses some questions generated by the first study regarding text complexity, text length, and working memory resources and involves young and older adult readers. Due to a reduction in working memory resources of older adults, a slow presentation rate should have an even greater debilitating effect on older adults. This hypothesis was not confirmed.

For both young and older adults, the 90 wpm pace yielded better recall than the 130 wpm pace. The results show that the older adults did in fact have diminished working memory capacities in comparison to young adults, but even the alder adults with less resources functioned better at the slow presentation rate. The findings regarding the 90 wpm and 130 wpm rates replicated the findings of study 1 with both young and older adults and with longer, more difficult texts.

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