The prevailing assumption by some that deep processing promotes stronger learning outcomes while surface processing promotes weaker learning outcomes has been called into question by the inconsistency and ambiguity of results in investigations of the relation between levels of processing and performance. The purpose of this literature review is to…

This study examines the moderating effects of a situational factor (i.e., text type) and an individual factor (i.e., subject-matter knowledge) on the relation between depth of processing and performance. One-hundred and fifty-one undergraduates completed measures of subject-matter knowledge, read either an expository or persuasive text about the…

This study explored the effects of processing texts in print or digitally on readers' comprehension, processing time, and calibration. Eighty-six undergraduates read print and digital versions of book excerpts about childhood ailments presented in counterbalanced order. Comprehension was tested at three levels (i.e., main idea, key points, and…

The comprehension and calibration of 54 undergraduates were investigated as they read excerpts from an introductory geology textbook on weather and soil in print and digitally. All excerpts were approximately 1600 words in length and contained a graph, a diagram, and three photographs that complemented or extended the written text. Each student…

Purpose: The primary goal of this commentary was to consider the future directions that researchers dealing with levels and regulation of strategies and with approaches to learning may wish to pursue in the years to come. Procedure: In order to accomplish this goal, the first step was to look for any common ground shared by authors contributing to…

This article introduces the cognitive affective engagement model (CAEM) of multiple source use. The CAEM is presented as a way of unifying cognitive and behaviorally focused models of multiple text engagement with research on the role of affective factors (e.g., interest) in text processing. The CAEM proposes that students' engagement with…

The burgeoning literatures on students' metacognitive judgments, self-regulation, self-efficacy beliefs, strategic processing, and conceptual change have focused new attention on the nature and measurement of calibration. Calibration, the distance between perceived and demonstrated levels of understanding, capability, competence, or preparedness,…

Students' confidence in their responses to a multiple text-processing task and their justifications for those confidence ratings were investigated. Specifically, 215 undergraduates responded to two academic questions, differing by type (i.e., discrete and open-ended) and by domain (i.e., developmental psychology and astrophysics), using a digital…

The purpose of this document is to present a developmental model of reading that encompasses changes across the lifespan. The need for such a lifespan orientation toward reading within our educational institutions is great. Until we adopt this lifelong perspective, we continue to run the risk of turning out undeveloped, unmotivated, and uncritical…

Student profiles generated from knowledge, interest, and strategy measures were studied and changes in profiles across a semester were studied for 329 college students. There were three distinct groups of students at pretest and four at posttest. The Learning-Oriented cluster remained fairly constant from pretest to posttest. (SLD)

Seventy-six empirical investigations relating to a particular academic domain and involving connected discourse presented in writing or on a computer were reviewed. From the analysis, six premises were proposed as guides for further research and practice in the area of subject-matter knowledge and interest in text processing. (SLD)

The authors examined knowledge, interest, and strategic processing profiles within special education for 4 educational communities. Participants included undergraduates not majoring in special education and undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty from special education. Cluster analysis tested whether participants would exhibit the…

Studied how and why persuasion occurs, examining the processing of two articles using topic-specific measures of belief. Results from 37 undergraduates, 25 graduate students, and 20 faculty members show that readers' perceptions of their knowledge play a more significant role in persuasion outcomes than the knowledge actually demonstrated. (SLD)

Literature since 1975 concerning the interaction of domain-specific and strategic knowledge on academic performance was reviewed. Focus was on critically analyzing the literature; presenting hypotheses about the interaction; and offering recommendations for future research leading, perhaps, to an information-processing model that captures the…