Comprehension of academic textsRole of executive functions and vocabulary.

  1. Ramírez-Peña, Pamela 1
  2. Pérez-Salas, Claudia Paz 2
  3. Riffo Ocares, Bernardo 1
  4. Cerdán Otero, Raquel 3
  1. 1 Departamento de Español, Universidad de Concepción, Chile
  2. 2 Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Concepción, Chile.
  3. 3 Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Valencia, España
Zeitschrift:
Nueva Revista del Pacífico

ISSN: 0716-6346 0719-5176

Datum der Publikation: 2023

Titel der Ausgabe: Nueva Revista del Pacífico

Nummer: 79

Seiten: 173-195

Art: Artikel

Andere Publikationen in: Nueva Revista del Pacífico

Zusammenfassung

Comprehension of academic texts is often a complex activity for university students during their first year of studies. This activity may be associated with a higher cognitive demand when reading in digital support and in the presence of distractors. Thus, the general objective of this research was to analyze the role of four executive functions (inhibition, goal setting, working memory and processing speed) in the comprehension of academic texts, together with the role of vocabulary. 62 first-year university students participated in an experimental study in which the effect of inhibition and goal setting on academic text comprehension was analyzed. To determine the effect of the distractor on reading comprehension, an eye tracker was used during reading. The experimental task was complemented with the measure of working memory, processing speed and vocabulary. From the results we conclude that inhibition and goal setting influence comprehension when reading is interrupted by distractors. In addition, we conclude that working memory and processing speed are not related to comprehension, in contrast to vocabulary which correlates positively and significantly with the comprehension of academic texts in first-year university students.

Bibliographische Referenzen

  • Alexander, Patricia. “The path to competence: A lifespan developmental perspective on reading”. Journal of Literacy Research, vol. 37, núm. 4, 2005, pp. 413-436.
  • Alexander, Patricia and DRL. “Reading Into the Future: Competence for the 21st Century”. Educational Psychologist, vol. 47, núm. 4, 2012, pp. 259-280.
  • Anderson, Peter. “Assessment and development of executive function (EF) during childhood”. Child Neuropsychology, vol. 8, núm. 2, 2002, pp. 71-82.
  • do Amaral, Juliana and Leda María Braga. “Temas centrales y direcciones futuras en la investigación en lectura digital: Una entrevista con el profesor Ladislao Salmerón”. Nueva Revista del Pacífico, núm. 77, 2022, pp. 220-227.
  • Bohn-Gettler, Catherine and Panayiota Kendeou. “The interplay of reader goals, working memory, and text structure during reading”. Contemporary Educational Psychology, vol. 39, núm. 3, 2014, pp. 206-219.
  • Bohn-Gettler, Catherine and Mathew McCrudden. “Effects of Task Relevance Instructions and Topic Beliefs on Reading Processes and Memory”. Discourse Processes, vol. 55, núm. 4, 2018, pp. 410-431.
  • Borella, Erika, Paolo Ghisletta and Anik de Ribaupierre. “Age differences in text processing: the role of working memory, inhibition, and processing speed”. The Journals of Gerontology, vol. 66, núm. 3, 2011, pp. 311-320.
  • Borella, Erika & Anik de Ribaupierre. “The role of working memory, inhibition, and processing speed in text comprehension in children”. Learning and Individual Differences, vol. 34, 2014, pp. 86-92.
  • Butterfuss, Reese and Panayiota Kendeou. “The Role of Executive Functions in Reading Comprehension”. Educational Psychology Review. vol. 30, núm. 3, 2018, pp. 801-826.
  • Carretti, Barbara, Erika Borella, Cesare Cornoldi and Rossana de Beni. “Role of working memory in explaining the performance of individuals with specific reading comprehension difficulties: A meta-analysis”. Learning and Individual Differences, vol. 19, núm. 2, 2009, pp. 246-251.
  • Cerdán, Raquel and María del Carmen Marín. “The Role of General and Selective Task Instructions on Students' Processing of Multiple Conflicting Documents”. Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 10, 2019, pp. 1-10.
  • Cerdán, Raquel, Ana Pérez, Eduardo Vidal-Abarca and Jean Francois Rouet. “To answer questions from text, one has to understand what the question is asking: differential effects of question aids as a function of comprehension skill”. Reading and Writing, vol. 32, núm. 8, 2019, pp. 211-224.
  • Christopher, Micaela et al. “Predicting word reading and comprehension with executive function and speed measures across development: a latent variable analysis”. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, vol. 141, núm. 3, 2012, pp. 470-488.
  • Corso, Helena, Jennifer Cromley, Tania Sperb and Jerusa Salles. “Modeling the relationship among reading comprehension, intelligence, socioeconomic status, and neuropsychological functions: The mediating role of executive functions”. Psychology and Neuroscience, vol. 9, núm. 1, 2016, pp. 32-45.
  • Diamond, Adele. “Executive functions”. Annual Review of Psychology, núm. 64, 2013, pp. 135–168.
  • Guerra, Ernesto and Edmundo Kronmüller. “Adult vocabulary modulates speed of word integration into preceding text across sentence boundaries: evidence from self-paced reading”. Reading Research Quarterly, vol. 55, núm. 4, 2019, pp. 1-15.
  • Faul, Franz et al. “G*Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences”. Behavior Research Methods, vol. 39, núm. 2, 2007, pp.175-191.
  • Follmer, Jack and Rayne Sperling. “A latent variable analysis of the contribution of executive function to adult readers ’comprehension of science text: the roles of vocabulary ability and level of comprehension”. Reading and Writing, vol. 32, núm. 2, 2019, pp. 377-403.
  • Follmer, Jack and Rayne Sperling. “Interactions between reader and text: Contributions of cognitive processes, strategy use, and text cohesion to comprehension of expository science text”. Learning and Individual Differences, vol. 67, 2018, pp. 177-187.
  • Freed, Erin, Stephen Hamilton and Debra Long. “Comprehension in proficient readers: The nature of individual variation”. Journal of Memory and Language, vol. 97, 2017, pp. 135-153.
  • Friedman, Naomi et al. “Stability and change in executive function abilities from late adolescence to early adulthood: A longitudinal twin study”. Developmental psychology, vol. 52, núm. 2, 2016, pp. 326–340.
  • Gaspelin, Nicholas and Steven Luck. “The Role of Inhibition in Avoiding Distraction by Salient Stimuli”. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 22, núm. 1, 2018, pp. 79-92.
  • Georgiou, George and J.P. Das. “Direct and indirect effects of executive function on reading comprehension in young adults”. Journal of Research in Reading, vol. 41, núm. 2, 2018, pp. 243-258.
  • Georgiou, George and J.P. Das. “University students with poor reading comprehension: the hidden cognitive processing deficit”. Journal of Learning Disabilities, vol. 48, núm. 5, 2015, pp. 535-545.
  • Georgiou, George and J.P. Das. “What component of executive functions contributes to normal and impaired reading comprehension in young adults?”. Research in Developmental Disabilities, núm. 49-50, 2016, pp. 118-128.
  • Jian, Yu-Cin. “Reading instructions facilitate signaling effect on science text for young readers: an eye-movement study”. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, vol. 17, núm. 3, 2018, pp. 503-522.
  • Kendeou, Panayiota. “Current Directions in Reading Comprehension Research”. Journal of Research in Reading, vol. 37, 2014.
  • Kendeou, Paniayota, Kristen McMaster and Theodore Christ. “Reading Comprehension: core components and process”. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, vol. 3, núm. 1, 2016, pp. 62-69.
  • Kintsch, Walter. Comprehension: A paradigm for cognition. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
  • Kintsch, Walter. “The role of knowledge in discourse comprehension: a construction-integration model”. Psychological Review, vol. 95, núm. 2, 1988, pp. 163–182.
  • Kintsch, Walter & Theodore van Dijk. “Toward a model of text comprehension and production”. Psychological Review, vol. 85, núm. 5, 1978, pp. 363-393.
  • León, José Antonio. “¿Por qué las personas no entienden lo que leen?”. Psicologia Educativa, vol. 10, núm. 2, 2004, pp. 101-116.
  • León, José Antonio et al. “Selective attention to question-relevant text information precedes high-quality summaries: Evidence from eye movements”. Journal of Eye Movement Research, vol. 12, núm. 1, 2019, pp. 1-16.
  • Lu, Jiachen, Tian et al. “Strategic inhibition of distractors with visual working memory contents after involuntary attention capture”. Scientific Reports, vol. 7, 2017, pp. 1-9.
  • Makuc, Margarita and Elisa Larrañaga. “Teorías implícitas acerca de la comprensión de textos: estudio exploratorio en estudiantes universitarios de primer año”. Revista Signos, vol. 48, núm. 87, 2015, pp. 29-53.
  • Mason, Lucía, María Caterina Tornatora and Patrick Pluchino. “Integrative processing of verbal and graphical information during re-reading predicts learning from illustrated text: an eye-movement study”. Reading and Writing, vol. 28, núm. 6, 2015, pp. 851-872.
  • McCrudden, Matthew. “The effect of task relevance instructions on memory for text with seductive details”. Applied Cognitive Psychology, vol. 33, núm. 1, 2019, pp. 31-37.
  • McCrudden, Matthew and Gregory Schraw. “Relevance and goal-focusing in text processing”. Educational Psychology Review, vol. 19, núm. 2, 2007, pp.113-139.
  • Neira, Angie, Fernando Reyes and Bernardo Riffo. “Experiencia académica y estrategias de comprensión lectora en estudiantes universitarios de primer año”. Literatura y Lingüística, núm. 31, 2015, pp. 221-244.
  • Oakhill, Jane and Kate Cain. “The precursors of reading ability in young readers: evidence from a four-year longitudinal study”. Scientific Studies of Reading, vol. 16, núm. 2, 2012, pp. 91-121.
  • Ober, Teresa et al. “Distinguishing direct and indirect effects of executive function on reading comprehension in adolescents”. Reading Psychology, vol. 40, núm. 6, 2019, pp. 551-581.
  • Parodi, Giovanni. “La comprensión del discurso especializado escrito en ámbitos técnico-profesionales: ¿Aprendiendo a partir del texto?”. Revista Signos, vol. 38, núm. 58, 2005, pp. 221-267.
  • Peng, Peng et al. “Meta-analysis on the relation between reading and working memory”. Psychological Bulletin, vol. 144, núm.1, 2018, pp. 48-76.
  • Penttinen, Marjaana, Erkii Anto and Mirjamaija Mikkilä-Erdmann. “Conceptual change, text comprehension and eye movements during reading”. Research in Science Education, vol. 43, núm. 4, 2012, pp. 1407-1434.
  • Perfetti, Charles. “Reading Ability: Lexical Quality to Comprehension”. Scientific Studies of Reading, vol. 11, núm. 4, 2007, pp. 357-383.
  • Perfetti, Charles and Joseph Stafura. “Word knowledge in a theory of reading comprehension”. Scientific Studies of Reading, vol. 18, núm. 1, 2014, pp. 22-37.
  • Piovano, Silvia, Natalia Irrazabal and Débora Burin. “Comprensión de textos expositivos académicos en e-book Reader y en papel: Influencia del conocimiento previo de dominio y la aptitud verbal”. Ciencias Psicológicas, vol. 12, núm. 2, 2018, pp. 177-185.
  • Potocki, Ana et al. “Linguistic and cognitive profiles of 8- to 15-year-old children with specific reading comprehension difficulties: the role of executive functions”. Journal of Learning Disabilities, vol. 50, núm. 2, 2017, pp. 128-142.
  • Radach, Ralph, Lynn Huestegge and Ronan Reilly. “The role of global top-down factors in local eye-movement control in reading”. Psychological Research, vol. 72, núm. 6, 2008, pp. 675-688.
  • Ramírez, Pamela and Bernardo Riffo. “Comprensión del discurso académico escrito en estudiantes de Biología de la Universidad de Concepción”. Foro Educacional, vol. 23, 2014, pp. 147-164.
  • Ramírez-Peña, Pamela et al. “Leer en contextos de distracción: rol de la inhibición y el establecimiento de objetivos en la comprensión de textos académicos digitales”. Íkala Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura, vol. 27, núm. 1, 2022, pp. 66-83.
  • Raney, Gary, Spencer Campbell and Joanna Bovee. “Using eye movements to evaluate the cognitive processes involved in text comprehension”. Journal of Visualized Experiments, vol. 83, 2014.
  • Rayner, Keith. “Eye movements and attention in reading, scene perception, and visual search”. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, vol. 62, núm. 8, 2009, pp. 1457-1506.
  • Ribeiro, Iolanda et al. “Beyond word recognition, fluency, and vocabulary: The influence of reasoning on reading comprehension”. Australian Journal of Psychology, vol. 68, núm. 2, 2016, pp. 107-115.
  • Riffo, Bernardo and Marco Contreras. “Experiencia académica y comprensión de textos especializados en estudiantes universitarios de Ciencias Políticas”. Estudios Pedagógicos, vol. 38, núm. 2, 2012, pp. 201-219.
  • Rosas, Ricardo et al. “Estandarización de la escala Wechsler de inteligencia para adultos-cuarta edición en Chile”. Psykhe (Santiago), vol. 23, núm.1, 2014, pp. 1-18.
  • Rozek, Ellen, Susan Kemper and Joan McDowd. “Learning To Ignore Distracters”. Psychology and Aging, vol. 27, núm. 1, 2012, pp. 61-66.
  • Salmerón, Ladislao and Pablo Delgado. “Critical analysis of the effects of the digital technologies on reading and learning”. Culture and Education, vol. 31, núm. 3, 2019, pp. 465-480.
  • Scrimin, Sara and Lucia Mason. “Does mood influence text processing and comprehension? Evidence from an eye-movement study”. British Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 85, núm. 3, 2015, pp. 387-406.
  • Van den Broek, Peter and Panayiota Kendeou. “Cognitive processes in comprehension of science texts: the role of co-activation in confronting misconceptions”. Applied Cognitive Psychology, vol. 22, núm. 3, 2018, pp. 335-351.
  • Van Dyke, Julie, Clinton Johns and Anuenue Kukona. “Low working memory capacity is only spuriously related to poor reading comprehension”. Cognition, vol. 3, núm. 3, 2014, pp. 373-403.
  • Véliz, Monica, Bernardo Riffo and Omar Salazar. Lectum 7. Prueba de comprensión lectora, forma A/forma B. Universidad de Concepción, 2013.
  • Wilcockson, Thomas et al. “Oculomotor and Inhibitory Control n Dyslexia”. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, vol. 12, 2019, pp. 1-10.
  • Yildirim, Kasim, Mustafa Yildiz and Seyit Ateş. “Is vocabulary a strong variable predicting reading comprehension and does the prediction degree of vocabulary vary according to text types”. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, vol. 11, núm. 3, 2011, pp. 1541-1547.