Vipond, D. (1980). Micro- and macroprocesses in text comprehension. Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior, 19(3), 276-296.

Vipond, D.

1980

Vipond, D. (1980). Micro- and macroprocesses in text comprehension. Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior, 19(3), 276-296.

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In 3 experiments, 267 undergraduates whose reading ability was determined by the Davis Reading Test or their 12th-grade English marks read and recalled texts that varied in local (micro-) or global (macro-) processing difficulty. In Exp I, 10 theoretically derived text variables, 5 at the micro- and 5 at the macrolevel, successfully predicted comprehension efficiency scores. Micro- and macrovariables accounted for unique portions of the comprehension variance. For the technical prose passages, microvariables were better predictors of less skilled readers' performance, whereas macrovariables were better for skilled readers'. In Exps II and III, lexical and macrostructure difficulty were factorially combined; story recall was determined by both. The factors were additive for high as well as for low ability readers, indicating that the lexical and macrostructural components of the comprehension system do not rely on the same cognitive resources. It is concluded that in order to explain comprehension, processes at both the micro- and macrolevel must be considered.

Of the 10 variables suggested by the model, 5 were significantly correlated with micro- and macrocomprehension: P1 and M1 (reinstatements), P2 and M2 (propositions reinstated) and P3 (maximum breadth of microprocessing). The failure of macrostructure inferences to predict comprehension could mean that readers make these kinds of inferences automatically.

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