On the relationship between knowledge of the world and comprehension of texts Assimilation and accommodation effects related to belief structu

Abstract.— Two empirical studies are presented, investigating the effect of readers' world knowledge on comprehension of a text (assimilation effect) and the effect of the reading of the text on readers' knowledge of the world (accommodation effect). The definition 'knowledge of the world' is here restricted to a part, represented by the readers' beliefs. 46 junior college students and 11 university students served as subjects. The results regarding assimilation showed that the average subject in both studies interpreted the text to have a meaning more similar to his own beliefs than was actually the case. As to accommodation, the junior college students' own beliefs changed in the direction of the text, whereas the university students' own beliefs became even more adamant in opposition to the text.     

Loneliness and life satisfaction among three cultural groups

Studies into loneliness and life satisfaction have rarely assessed the role of culture in moderating the relationship between these variables. The present study examined the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction using data from three nonstudent samples collected from Italian, Anglo‐Canadian and Chinese‐Canadian populations. A total of 206 respondents completed the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell, Peplau, & Cutrona, 1980) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). Two contrasting hypotheses were compared: one, a “postmodern” hypothesis, predicting that the relationship between life satisfaction and loneliness would be stronger in our individualist sample of Anglo‐Canadians, and a second, “relational” hypothesis predicting this association to be strongest in our collectivist, Chinese‐Canadian sample. Our findings demonstrated that culture has a small but significant impact on the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction, and, consistent with the relational hypothesis, the relationship between the two concepts was strongest among our Chinese‐Canadian respondents and weakest among our Anglo‐Canadian participants This finding is discussed in the context of the strong expectations of social cohesion in collectivist societies.     

Thinking aloud during reading: A descriptive model and its application

The problem-solving aspect of reading was studied by a thinking-aloud procedure. A model was developed, describing the information attended to, the thought operation used, and the result derived. Four main operations were identified: Reading, Evoking, Interpreting , and Comparing. A coding system, based upon this model, was developed. Its interrater reliability was between 0.86 and 0.92. This system was used to study the effect of reading purpose. An experimental group was instructed to apply a text concerning creativity to the problem of inducing constructive learning at the university. A control group was assigned reading with no particular purpose in mind. The experimental group used the Interpreting operation more often. Also, the Comparing operation, applied to a comparison between the text and the subjects' own knowledge, less often resulted in disagreement. Thus, the coding system is detailed enough to reflect differences in thought processes.