Executive functions and multiple-text comprehension

IF 3.8 1区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, EDUCATIONAL Learning and Individual Differences Pub Date : 2024-09-22 DOI:10.1016/j.lindif.2024.102566

Christian Tarchi, Costanza Ruffini, Chiara Pecini

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

The present study aims at investigating the direct and indirect relationships between executive functions on multiple-text comprehension performance and processes.

Methods

The research questions were investigated through a path analysis approach. The participants in this study were 286 university students. The tasks were subdivided into three sessions to regulate cognitive fatigue during testing: demographic (age and gender) and control variables (perceived prior knowledge, prior knowledge, and need for cognition), executive functions (verbal and visuospatial working memory, inhibition, and shifting), and 3) multiple-text comprehension task (reading four texts and writing and argumentative essay: reading time, writing time, essay length, depth of comprehension, argumentative quality, text relevance ratings, and strategic processing).

Results

The estimated path model had an excellent fit. Visuospatial working memory and inhibition were associated with depth of comprehension.

Conclusion

The results of the study allow to delineate a cognitive control theory of multiple-text comprehension.

Educational relevance statement

1.
What is already known about this topic

•
When people turn to the Internet to find an answer to relevant questions, they must face an overwhelming quantity of knowledge.
•
Readers' competences are suboptimal for dealing with the increased complexity of reading for critical thinking, knowledge acquisition and decision making.
•
Executive functions play a main role in supporting reading comprehension processes.

2.
What this paper adds

•
This paper compares the effect of multiple measures of executive functions on multiple-text comprehension outcomes and processes.
•
We tested the direct and indirect effect of executive functions on depth of reading comprehension and source-based argumentation.
•
This paper contributes to defining a cognitive control theory of multiple-text comprehension.

3.
Implications for theory, policy, or practice

•
The study contributes to the literature on multiple-texts comprehension by emphasizing the role of executive functions.
•
The interactivity between source elements may determine the extent to which specific levels of working memory are required to complete the task.
•
Working memory and inhibition contribute to multiple-text comprehension by supporting the ability to suppress irrelevant information and in managing cognitive resources.

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执行功能和多文本理解

背景本研究旨在探讨执行功能与多文本理解成绩和过程之间的直接和间接关系。方法本研究通过路径分析法对研究问题进行探讨。本研究的参与者为 286 名大学生。任务被细分为三个环节，以调节测试过程中的认知疲劳：人口统计学变量（年龄和性别）和控制变量（感知先验知识、先验知识和认知需求）、执行功能（言语和视觉空间工作记忆、抑制和转移），以及 3) 多文本理解任务（阅读四篇文本并撰写议论文：阅读时间、写作时间、文章长度、理解深度、议论质量、文本相关性评分和策略处理）。教育意义1.关于本主题的已知知识--当人们通过互联网寻找相关问题的答案时，他们必须面对大量的知识--读者的能力不足以应对阅读中日益复杂的批判性思维、知识获取和决策制定--执行功能在支持阅读理解过程中发挥着主要作用。本文的贡献--本文比较了执行功能的多种测量方法对多文本理解结果和过程的影响--我们测试了执行功能对阅读理解深度和基于来源的论证的直接和间接影响--本文有助于定义多文本理解的认知控制理论。.对理论、政策或实践的启示--本研究强调了执行功能的作用，从而为有关多文本理解的文献做出了贡献。--源元素之间的互动性可能决定了完成任务所需的特定工作记忆水平。

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来源期刊

Learning and Individual Differences PSYCHOLOGY, EDUCATIONAL-

CiteScore

6.60

自引率

2.80%

发文量

期刊介绍： Learning and Individual Differences is a research journal devoted to publishing articles of individual differences as they relate to learning within an educational context. The Journal focuses on original empirical studies of high theoretical and methodological rigor that that make a substantial scientific contribution. Learning and Individual Differences publishes original research. Manuscripts should be no longer than 7500 words of primary text (not including tables, figures, references).