The Contribution of Text Characteristics to Reading Comprehension: Investigating the Influence of Text Emotionality

Sage E. Pickren; Maria Stacy; Stephanie N. Del Tufo; Mercedes Spencer; Laurie E. Cutting

doi:10.1002/rrq.431

journal article Jun 28, 2021

The Contribution of Text Characteristics to Reading Comprehension: Investigating the Influence of Text Emotionality

Sage E. Pickren

Maria Stacy Stephanie N. Del Tufo Mercedes Spencer Laurie E. Cutting

Reading Research Quarterly Vol. 57 No. 2 pp. 649-667 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/rrq.431

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn the current study, we examined relations between text features (e.g., word concreteness, referential cohesion) and reading comprehension using multilevel logistic models. The sample was 158 native English‐speaking students between 8 years, 8 months and 11 years, 2 months of age with a wide range of reading ability. In line with the simple view of reading, decoding ability and language comprehension were associated with reading comprehension performance. Text characteristics, including indices of word frequency, number of pronouns, word concreteness, and deep cohesion, also predicted unique variance in reading comprehension performance over and above the simple view’s components. Additionally, the emotional charge of text (i.e., lexical ratings of arousal) predicted reading comprehension beyond traditional person‐level and text‐based characteristics. These findings add to a small but growing body of evidence suggesting that it is important to consider emotional charge in addition to person‐level and text‐based characteristics to better understand reading comprehension performance.

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Details

Published: Jun 28, 2021
Vol/Issue: 57(2)
Pages: 649-667
License: View

Authors

S

Sage E. Pickren

Vanderbilt University Nashville Tennessee USA

M

Maria Stacy

Southern Illinois University Carbondale USA

S

Stephanie N. Del Tufo

University of Delaware Newark USA

M

Mercedes Spencer

Vanderbilt University Nashville Tennessee USA

L

Laurie E. Cutting

Vanderbilt University Nashville Tennessee USA

Funding

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Award: 3RO1 HD044073‐14S1

Cite This Article

Sage E. Pickren, Maria Stacy, Stephanie N. Del Tufo, et al. (2021). The Contribution of Text Characteristics to Reading Comprehension: Investigating the Influence of Text Emotionality. Reading Research Quarterly, 57(2), 649-667. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.431

The Contribution of Text Characteristics to Reading Comprehension: Investigating the Influence of Text Emotionality

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