ABSTRACT

The study investigates automated and controlled cognitive processes that occur when university students read multiple documents (MDs). We examined data of 401 students dealing with two MD sets in a digital environment. Performance was assessed through several comprehension questions. Recorded log data gave indications about students’ time allocation, corroboration, and sourcing. Independent measures were used for reading speed to tap the effects of automatic processing and for working memory and single-text reading comprehension to tap effects of controlled processing, with working memory considered the mental capacity for performing controlled processing. We found that faster readers completed the MD tasks faster and showed more corroboration behavior. At the same time, students skilled in comprehension allocated more time to processing MD tasks and were more likely to show MD-specific behaviors of corroboration and sourcing. Students’ success in MD tasks was predicted by reading speed and working memory, with the effect of working memory being mediated by single-text comprehension. Behavioral indicators contributed independently in predicting students’ MD comprehension. Results suggest that reading MDs resembles a problem-solving situation where students need to engage in controlled, non-routine processing to build up a comprehensive representation of MDs and benefit from highly automated, lower-level reading processes.

摘要

该研究调查了大学生阅读多个文档 (MD) 时发生的自动化和受控认知过程。我们检查了 401 名学生在数字环境中处理两个 MD 集的数据。通过几个理解问题来评估表现。记录的日志数据可以指示学生的时间分配、证实和来源。阅读速度的独立测量用于挖掘自动处理的效果，工作记忆和单文本阅读理解使用独立的测量来挖掘受控处理的效果，工作记忆被认为是执行受控处理的心理能力。我们发现更快的阅读器更快地完成 MD 任务并表现出更多的证实行为。同时，理解能力强的学生分配了更多的时间来处理 MD 任务，并且更有可能表现出 MD 特定的证实和采购行为。学生在 MD 任务中的成功通过阅读速度和工作记忆来预测，工作记忆的影响由单文本理解介导。行为指标对预测学生对医学博士的理解有独立的贡献。结果表明，阅读 MD 类似于解决问题的情况，在这种情况下，学生需要进行受控的非常规处理，以建立对 MD 的全面表示，并从高度自动化的低级阅读过程中受益。工作记忆的影响是由单文本理解介导的。行为指标对预测学生对医学博士的理解有独立的贡献。结果表明，阅读 MD 类似于解决问题的情况，在这种情况下，学生需要进行受控的非常规处理，以建立对 MD 的全面表示，并从高度自动化的低级阅读过程中受益。工作记忆的影响是由单文本理解介导的。行为指标对预测学生对医学博士的理解有独立的贡献。结果表明，阅读 MD 类似于解决问题的情况，在这种情况下，学生需要进行受控的非常规处理，以建立对 MD 的全面表示，并从高度自动化的低级阅读过程中受益。