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Graduation Term

2015

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Psychology: School Psychology

Committee Chair

Alycia M. Hund

Abstract

Reading is an important skill that contributes to both academic success and successful daily functioning. The goal of reading comprehension is to create meaning from the printed words, and the current study explored factors influencing reading comprehension, specifically reading strategies and cognitive flexibility. Reading strategies include practices such as setting goals, activating prior knowledge, and monitoring comprehension, which have been found to enhance reading performance (Gaskins, Satlow, & Pressley, 2007; Kolic-Vehovic & Bajsanski, 2006; Schellings, Aarnoutse, & van Leeuwe, 2006). Cognitive flexibility is one component of executive functioning that may impact the relation between reading strategy use and reading comprehension. Cognitive flexibility reflects an individual's skill for adapting in light of new or changing information and switching fluently between activities. Both general and reading-specific flexibility were explored for the purposes of this study. The primary purpose of this dissertation was to test the potential moderating role of cognitive flexibility on the relation between reading strategies and reading comprehension. Results indicated a significant moderating role of reading-specific flexibility. No significant moderation effects were observed for general flexibility. Additionally, correlations between self-reported scores from a metacognitive questionnaire and observational scores from a think aloud procedure were examined. Two strategies (questioning and activating prior knowledge) were significantly correlated across measures. Three strategies (setting goals, monitoring comprehension, and making predictions) were not correlated. Overall, these findings suggest that reading-specific flexibility is important for reading comprehension performance. In addition, the findings contribute to the literature base regarding measurement of reading strategy use. As such, the results have important implications for reading practice and future research.

Access Type

Dissertation-ISU Access Only

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2015.Gnaedinger.E

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