2016-06-22
Comprehension and
Memory for Text
Chapter 11
Outline
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Prior knowledge
Context and text comprehension.
Context and retrieval of text information.
False Text Recognition.
Story Structure
Script knowledge
Integration of ideas
Recommended comprehension strategies
Apply Your knowledge
Review
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Prior knowledge
Prior Knowledge
Prior knowledge can change our comprehension of text material.
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Text Comprehension
Text Comprehension
Dependent on:
1. Reader knowledge.
2. Content of the text
• Associations between ideas (statements).
• Causal relations
• For local coherence
• Story structure
• For global coherence
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Text Comprehension
Context can help with
text comprehension and recall.
Text Comprehension
Bransford and Franks (1973)
Procedure:
• Read paragraphs
• 3 groups:
• No-context
• Context-before
• Context-after
• Rated ease of comprehension and asked to recall ideas.
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Text Comprehension
Results:
• Context-before group: high recall
• No-context and context-after group: low recall
Retrieval of Text Information
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Context and Retrieval of Text Information
Context can act as a retrieval cue for text
information.
Context and Retrieval of Text Information
Anderson and Picher (1978)
Procedure:
• Read story
• Group one: burglar perspective
• Group 2: home buyer perspective
• Recall @ time 1: all ideas about the story
• Recall @ time 2: all ideas about the story using same or different
perspective
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Context and Retrieval of Text Information
Results:
• Recall @ time 1: higher recall of ideas related to the perspective.
• Burgler: recalled no one home on Thursdays.
• Home buyer: recalled leaky roof.
• Recall 2: using a different perspective resulted in recalling more ideas
because there was a new way to search memory (the new
perspective acted as a new retrieval cue).
False Text Recognition
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False Text Recognition
Memory is a reconstruction.
Confusing the source of information can lead to
false text recognition.
False Text Recognition
Sulin and Dooling (1974)
Procedure:
• Read passages
• Group 1: character name = Gerald Martin (fictitious)
• Group 2: character name = Adolf Hitler
• Recognition test
• Short delay (5 min)
• Long delay (1 week later)
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False Text Recognition
Results:
• Participants in the long delay had higher errors than in the short delay
condition.
• Those given the Adolf Hitler name had higher errors than those given a
fictitious name.
SOURCE MONITORING ERROR
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Story Comprehension
Story Comprehension
Comprehension and memory
of text information is influenced by
1. Story Structure
2. Script knowledge
3. Integration of ideas
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Story Structure
Not knowing the theme (goals) in a story will reduce comprehension
and consequently, reduces the likelihood of
remembering what was read.
Story Structure
Components of a story:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Setting (location, time, characters)
Theme (goal of main character, general focus)
Plot (series of actions carried out to try and achieve goal)
Resolution (outcome)
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Story Structure
Thorndyke (1977)
Procedure:
• Read stories that were organized:
A. Setting  theme  plot  resolution
B. Setting  plot  resolution  theme
C. Setting  plot  resolution
Results:
• Recall highest for A>B>C
Script Knowledge
Script knowledge helps with our expectations.
Things that deviate are DISTINCTIVE and result in
better memory.
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Script Knowledge
Bower, Black & Turner (1979)
Procedure
• Read script-based stories that contained:
• Interruptions (something prevented character from achieving goal).
• Script actions
• Irrelevant information.
• Recall stories
Script Knowledge
Results
• Recall
• Best recall of interruptions
• Moderate recall of script actions
• Poor recall of irrelevant information
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Integration of Ideas
Text comprehension is facilitated when:
1. Statement contains information presented earlier.
2. The information presented earlier is still in working memory.
3. There is a direct relationship between ideas.
Integration of Ideas
Direct relationship Example:
Ed was given an alligator for his birthday.
The alligator was his favorite present.
Indirect relationship Example:
Ed was given lots of things for his birthday.
The alligator was his favorite present.
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Review
• Prior knowledge
• Context and text comprehension.
• Context and retrieval of text information.
• False Text Recognition.
• Story Structure
• Script knowledge
• Integration of ideas
• Recommended comprehension strategies
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