| Abstract: | Investigated 2 forms of across-chapter text signals: "preview" sentences, which signal contents in upcoming chapters, and "recall" sentences, which are backward signals that signal back to previously read materials. These signals may influence readers' recall of text material by guiding their attention during reading. They also may facilitate readers' activation of memory representations of previous content, thereby enhancing integrative processing. Seven experiments examined the effects of preview and recall sentences. The results of 4 experiments indicated a clear signaling effect across chapters. In Exp IV, there were significantly longer inspection times and reaction times (RTs) to secondary probes in signaled than in unsignaled paragraphs. The results of Exp V indicate that backward-signaled materials were recalled at a significantly greater rate than unsignaled materials. In addition, the signaled materials in Ss' recalls were clustered together at a significantly greater rate than unsignaled materials. Results of Exp VII indicate significantly longer inspection times and RTs to secondary probe tasks in the reading of paragraphs containing recall sentences than in the reading of paragraphs not containing signals. Results indicate that across-chapter signals have a strong effect on readers' recall of prose. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
