Perspective effects on online text processing

: Kaakinen JK, Hyona J, Keenan JM

Publisher: LAWRENCE ERLBAUM ASSOC INC

: 2002

: Discourse Processes

: DISCOURSE PROCESSES

: DISCOURSE PROCESS

: 33

: 2

: 159

: 173

: 15

: 0163-853X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326950DP3302_03

The effect of a reading perspective on online text processing was studied by recording readers' eye movements during reading. Participants read an expository text about 4 countries with the goal of deciding whether one of the countries, designated by the experimenter as the reading perspective, would be a good new place of residence. The results showed better memory for perspective-relevant information and longer fixation times on perspective-relevant information. Individual differences in working memory were assessed with the reading span test. Results showed that the time course of the perspective effect varied with memory span: High-span readers showed a perspective relevance effect on initial reading of the target segments, whereas low-span readers showed the effect only in the later look backs.