| Abstract: | In 2 experiments, the authors examined the effects of coherence and relevance on shallow and deeper text processing, testing the hypothesis that enhancing the relevance of text segments compensates for breaks in local and global coherence. In Experiment 1, they found that breaks in local coherence had no effect on any outcome measures, whereas relevance enhanced deeper processing. In Experiment 2, they found that breaks in global coherence interfered with shallow processing, whereas relevance enhanced deeper processing. In addition, interactions revealed that relevance compensates for breaks in global coherence on measures of deeper processing. The compensation hypothesis was supported. One explanation for these results is that relevance enables readers to focus on salient information, which in turn can be used to repair serious coherence breaks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
