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Effect of Prior Knowledge on Good and Poor Readers' Memory of Text

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Donna R. Recht
Donna R. Recht
Donna R. Recht
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Lauren Leslie at Marquette University
Lauren Leslie
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Abstract

We investigated how prior knowledge influences the amount of short-term nonverbal and verbal memory and long-term retention in students of high and low ability in reading comprehension. Sixty-four junior high students were divided into four equal-sized groups on the basis of preassessed reading ability (high and low) and preassessed amount of existing prior knowledge about baseball (high and low). Each subject silently read an account of a half inning of a baseball game. After reading, each subject recalled the account nonverbally by moving figures and verbally by retelling the story. After an interpolated task, they summarized the game and sorted passage sentences for idea importance. There was a significant main effect for prior knowledge on all measures. No interactions between prior knowledge and ability were found. These results delineate the powerful effect of prior knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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... Two weeks later, the students read a new passage about the greenhouse effect before taking a free recall test and a short-answer test. Students with greater prior knowledge performed better on the tests, implying greater learning of the passage (for similar methods, see e.g., Alexander et al., 1994;Beier & Ackerman, 2005;Recht & Leslie, 1988). ...
... First, one effect of prior knowledge is assessed by final test performance on questions related to the trained topics in the trained domain. This comparison is similar to many earlier studies that have been interpreted as showing an advantage for HPK on learning (e.g., Boscolo & Mason, 2003;Recht & Leslie, 1988), and we expected consistent results for this part of the experiment. However, this does not isolate new learning because even though the exact passages might be new to the participant, the concepts in those passages overlap with knowledge that the HPK participants already possess. ...
... First, to ensure that the manipulation of prior knowledge was successful, it is important to show that participants' initial levels of pretraining knowledge in both academic domains were low (i.e., initial objective pretest scores) and that training in one domain produced a substantial increase in knowledge (i.e., posttraining topic test scores). Second, although analyzing later performance on trained domain topics does not isolate new learning, it can be used to assess the effectiveness of the training manipulation and how our results align with the many earlier studies reporting an advantage of HPK on that measure of learning (e.g., Boscolo & Mason, 2003;Recht & Leslie, 1988). Finally, exploratory analyses of perceived mental effort during the learning phase may also reveal any additional effects of prior knowledge on subsequent learning. ...
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Article
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  • Oct 2024
It is commonly claimed that higher domain knowledge enhances new learning—the knowledge-is-power hypothesis. However, a recent meta-analysis (Simonsmeier et al., 2022) has challenged this idea, finding no overall relationship between prior knowledge and new learning across hundreds of highly variable effect sizes. The authors note that this variability and lack of randomized controlled experiments preclude broad claims regarding the influence of prior knowledge on learning. The present study (conducted in 2020) provides an experimental assessment of the causal effect of prior domain knowledge on new learning. Participants were randomly assigned to receive training in one of two academic domains over 3 days before learning new information about topics in both domains for a later test. Training was specific to three of four topics within that domain, allowing the untrained topic in the trained domain to act as a measure of new learning in that domain. New learning, measured as final test performance or knowledge gains, did not differ between the high and low domain knowledge conditions. Experimentally induced prior domain knowledge did not affect new learning.
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... Using prior knowledge is an effective component of reading comprehension for students where classroom interaction and the teacher's support can increase the engagement of struggling readers (Smith et al., 2021). Similarly, Recht and Leslie (1988) note that uninterested readers might increase their attention when their teachers encourage them to use their prior knowledge. All students do not possess similar skills in using background knowledge. ...
... According to Dole et al. (1991), teacher-directed prereading strategies assist students in using their previous knowledge. The finding is consistent with Recht and Leslie (1988), which found that when less proficient readers are encouraged to employ their prior knowledge while reading, their performance is similar to that of good readers. ...
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Thesis
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  • Jul 2024
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... Stored in long-term memory, prior knowledge is fundamentally linked to reading comprehension (Cook & Guéraud, 2005). This knowledge typically encompasses two categories: topic knowledge, which relates to the reader's understanding of a text's specific topic, influencing their recall abilities and explicit responses (Pearson et al., 1979;Recht & Leslie, 1988), and domain knowledge, which extends to broader disciplinary contexts beyond the text itself (Cervetti & Wright, 2020;McCarthy & McNamara, 2021). Topic knowledge facilitates the integration of new information with existing knowledge, thus enhancing comprehension (O'Reilly et al., 2019). ...
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... Achieving fluency in reading with comprehension and adopting a flexible approach to reading materials are critical indicators of literacy proficiency (Pečjak & Gradišar, 2002). However, the efficacy of reading is not solely dependent on technique mastery but is also significantly influenced by factors such as background knowledge (Recht & Leslie, 1988). Smith et al. (2021) have shown that the level of prior knowledge impacts comprehension differently, affected by the text's nature, the required quality of the situation model, and potential misconceptions about the text. ...
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Conference Paper
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  • Aug 2024
The primary goal of the conference is to promote further international cooperation between scientists from different disciplines involved in the study of Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Modelling in Education. The overall aim of the conference is to create integrated models and connect education to contemporary research findings from the fields of the Philosophy of Mind, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Education, Neuroscience, Cognitive Modelling, and Artificial Intelligence.
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... Achieving fluency in reading with comprehension and adopting a flexible approach to reading materials are critical indicators of literacy proficiency (Pečjak & Gradišar, 2002). However, the efficacy of reading is not solely dependent on technique mastery but is also significantly influenced by factors such as background knowledge (Recht & Leslie, 1988). Smith et al. (2021) have shown that the level of prior knowledge impacts comprehension differently, affected by the text's nature, the required quality of the situation model, and potential misconceptions about the text. ...
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  • Apr 2024
Addressing the need for pedagogical innovation tailored to primary school students, this study investigates the integration of digital reading and learning into early education. The research focuses on the internet reciprocal teaching method, complemented by a complex reading strategy KWL, usually applied to offline texts, within a primary school environment. The study encompasses thirteen students aged 9-10, organized in small groups according to the reciprocal teaching method. These groups actively engaged with a variety of online materials, aiming to extract information, answer questions, and cultivate critical thinking. This process was enriched by integrating a complex reading strategy, thereby enhancing the students’ knowledge on specific subjects, along with their digital literacy and online learning abilities. The results show that primary school students are capable of comprehensively researching online and processing the information obtained, wherein the integration of complex reading strategies combined with the reciprocal teaching method from online sources proves effective in fostering digital literacy and critical thinking in younger learners. This method not only deepens their understanding of the environment but also prepares them for navigating and utilizing digital resources in future educational contexts. The study advocates for broader application and further research into online learning and reading strategies in primary education.
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The Effects of Prior Knowledge and Oral Reading Accuracy on Miscues and Comprehension
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Components of skill in bridge
Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 1979
  • Rev Canad Psychol
20 bridge players ranging in skill from novice to life master were given bridge-related tasks; their performance strongly correlated with skill level, except for memory for randomly arranged hands. Results indicate that skilled problem solving in bridge depends on the possession of a large vocabulary of recognizable patterns that are associated with appropriate actions. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Article
Full-text available
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Contemporary cognitive psychology has focused upon problems of perception and memory, an emphasis that has led to an apparent decrease of research in the area of learning.1 A reasonable question to ask, therefore, is whether the cognitive movement has neglected the study of learning, or whether cognitive psychology has incorporated the concept of learning, but has done so under a different terminology.
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Good and Poor Readers' Comprehension of Story Structure across Different Input and Output Modalities
Article
  • Jan 1985
Story comprehension patterns of good and poor sixth-grade readers were examined across four modality combinations for input and output: listening-oral recall, reading-oral recall, listening-written recall, reading-written recall. Twenty-one good readers and 21 poor readers were asked to summarize important information in a different short story presented for each condition. The subjects were tested individually in one 45-minute session. The results showed that good readers recalled more story propositions, but that the organization of the story schemata represented in the summaries was similar for the two groups. This included the pattern of story grammar categories for explicit propositions recalled, the number and types of additions, and the levels of importance of summary propositions in the hierarchical structures of the stories. Differences in the types of information emphasized as important were found for explicit information as compared to implicit information, suggesting variations in schema organization related to the nature of the text. There were no significant differences between the groups related to input or output modalities, though oral recall conditions produced longer summaries overall. Results and implications are discussed in terms of different types of internal cognitive schemata for stories and the effects of variations in the complexity of story texts. /// [French] On a examiné des modèles de compréhension d'histoires chez des lecteurs bons et médiocres de sixième à travers quatre combinaisons de modalités pour l'usage et la production: rappel d'écoute orale, rappel de lecture orale, rappel d'écoute écrite, rappel de lecture écrite. On a demandé à vingt-et-un bons lecteurs et vingt-et-un lecteurs médiocres de résumer des informations importantes dans une courte histoire différente présentée pour chaque condition. Les sujets étaient testés individuellement au cours d'une session de 45 minutes. Les résultats ont montré que les bons lecteurs se sont souvenus de plus de propositions dans les histoires, mais que l'organisation des schémas des histoires représentée dans les résumés était similaire pour les deux groupes. Ceci comprenait le modèle des catégories grammaticales des histoires pour les propositions explicites rappelées, le nombre et les types d'additions, et les niveaux d'importance des propositions des résumés dans les structures hiérarchiques des histoires. On a trouvé des différences dans les types d'informations accentuées selon leur importance pour les informations explicites par rapport aux informations implicites, suggèrant ainsi des variations en organisation de schéma reliées à la nature du texte. Il n'y avait pas de différences significatives entre les groupes reliées aux modalités d'usage ou de production, bien que les conditions de rappel oral aient produit de plus longs résumés dans l'ensemble. Les résultats et les implications sont en cours de discussion en termes des différents types de schémas cognitifs internes pour les histoires et les effects de variations dans la complexité des textes des histoires. /// [Spanish] Se examinaron tendencias de comprensión de lectores superiores e inferiores de sexto grado al incluir 4 combinaciones de modalidades en entrada y producción: escuchar - recuerdo oral, leer - recuerdo oral, escuchar - recuerdo escrito, leer - recuerdo escrito. Se pidió a 21 lectores superiores y a 21 lectores inferiores que hicieran un resumen de información importante de cada cuento diferente presentado en cada categoría. Los alumnos fueron examinados individualmente en una sesión de 45 minutos. Los resultados mostraron que los lectores superiores recordaron más detalles del cuento, pero que la organización de los esquemas de la trama representados en los resúmenes era similar para los dos grupos. Estos incluyeron la tendencia de categorías gramaticales del cuento por detalles concretos recordados, el número y tipos de adiciones y los niveles de importancia de detalles del resumen en la estructura jerárquica de los cuentos. Se encontraron diferencias de énfasis en los tipos de información explícita, comparados con la información implícita, sugiriendo variaciones en la organización del esquema relacionado con la naturaleza del texto. No hubo diferencias significativas entre los grupos referente a las modalidades de entrada y producción, aunque condiciones de recuerdo oral produjeron, en general, resúmenes más extensos. Se discuten los resultados y las implicaciones en términos de diferentes tipos de esquemas cognitivos y de los efectos de las variaciones en la complejidad de los cuentos.
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Good and Poor Readers' Recall of Familiar and Unfamiliar Text
Article
  • Dec 1979
This study investigated poor readers' use of prior knowledge in reading by comparing good and poor readers' recall of familiar and unfamiliar text. Thirty-one third graders and thirty-one fifth graders, reading on a third grade level, and twenty fifth graders, reading on a fifth grade level, read and orally recalled two third grade expository passages, one on a familiar topic and one on an unfamiliar topic, which were very similar in structure. Both fifth grade groups recalled more than the third graders on the familiar passage. The fifth grade good readers recalled more than the poor readers and third graders on the unfamiliar passage. All groups recalled more on the familiar than unfamiliar passage, but the poor readers' mean difference score between the two passages was greater than the other two groups' mean difference scores. These findings suggest that poor readers' comprehension, in particular, suffers when their use of prior knowledge is restricted, as when reading unfamiliar material. Also, it appears that poor readers can do an adequate job of comprehending if given familiar material to read on an appropriate level.
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The Influence of Religious Affiliation on Children's Memory for Text Information
Article
  • Jul 1983
The current study investigated the impact of culturally specific prior knowledge on the reading comprehension of young subjects whose religious affiliation was either strongly Catholic or Jewish. After reading a culturally neutral passage, all subjects read two additional passages, each specific to one of the two religious groups. Measures of free recall, probed recall, and reading time were used as dependent variables. Prior religious knowledge about a topic was a powerful factor in post-reading performance. Each group recalled more text-based propositions and generated more implicit recall for their culturally familiar passage. In addition, they made fewer errors in recall on the passage that contained familiar material, and they took less time to read that passage. Finally, they were significantly more successful at responding to probed recall items. The findings indicate that subjects were much more likely to comprehend text when they had a culturally appropriate schema into which to incorporate the new information. In addition, the presence of such schemata apparently acted to limit children's comprehension of unfamiliar text so that accuracy was diminished and distortion was increased./// [French] Cette étude recherche l'impact qu'ont les connaissances culturellement spécifiques sur la compréhension de lecture de jeunes sujets dont l'affiliation religieuse était soit fortement catholique ou juive. Aprés avoir lu un passage culturellement neutre, tous les sujets ont lu deux passages supplémentaires, chacun spécifique à un des deux groupes religieux. On a utilisé des mesures de rappel libre, de rappel approfondi, et le temps de lecture comme variables dépendantes. Les connaissances religieuses préalables sur un sujet étaient un facteur de taille dans l'accomplissment de post-lecture. Chaque groupe s'est souvenu de plus de propositions basées sur le texte et a généré un rappel plus implicite pour le passage qui lui était culturellement familier. De plus, ils ont fait moins d'erreurs de rappel dans le passage qui contenait des éléments familiers, et moins de temps leur a été nécessaire pour lire ce passage. Enfin, ils avaient beaucoup plus de succès en répondant aux question de rappel approfondi. Les découvertes indiquent que les sujets étaient beaucoup plus susceptibles de comprendre le texte lorsqu'ils avaient un schéma culturellement approprié où incorporer l'information nouvelle. De plus, la présence de tels schémas a agi en apparence à limiter la compréhension des enfants concernant des textes non-familiers de façon à diminuer l'exactitude et à augmenter l'altération./// [Spanish] El presente estudio investigó el impacto del conocimiento cultural concreto previo sobre la comprensión lectora de jóvenes de notada fe católica o judía. Después de haber leído un pasaje culturalmente neutro, todos los individuos leyeron 2 pasajes adicionales, cada uno de intención religiosa relacionada a los dos grupos. Medidas de recuerdo libre, recuerdo condicionado, y tiempo de lectura, se utilizaron como variables dependientes. Conocimiento previo religioso de un tópico resultó ser un factor importante en la actividad siguiendo la lectura. Cada grupo recordó más perspectivas basadas en el texto y generó más recuerdo implícito hacia su correspondiente pasaje cultural conocido. Además, hicieron menos errores en el recuerdo del pasaje que contenía material conocido, y les tomó menos tiempo para leerlo. Finalmente, acertaron significativamente mejor en sus respuestas a recuerdo condicionado. Estos resultados indican que los individuos tendían a comprender mejor el texto cuando existía un esquema cultural apropiado en el que podían incorporar información nueva. Además, la existencia de tales esquemas al parecer limitó la comprensión de jóvenes de pasajes desconocidos, de manera que disminuyó la precisión y aumentó la distorsión.
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Perception in Chess
Article
  • Jul 1973
This paper develops a technique for isolating and studying the per- ceptual structures that chess players perceive. Three chess players of varying strength - from master to novice - were confronted with two tasks: ( 1) A perception task, where the player reproduces a chess position in plain view, and (2) de Groot's ( 1965) short-term recall task, where the player reproduces a chess position after viewing it for 5 sec. The successive glances at the position in the perceptual task and long pauses in tbe memory task were used to segment the structures in the reconstruction protocol. The size and nature of these structures were then analyzed as a function of chess skill. What does an experienced chess player "see" when he looks at a chess position? By analyzing an expert player's eye movements, it has been shown that, among other things, he is looking at how pieces attack and defend each other (Simon & Barenfeld, 1969). But we know from other considerations that he is seeing much more. Our work is concerned with just what ahe expert chess pIayer perceives.
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