Readers’ use of source information in text comprehension

Abstract

In two experiments, we examined the role of discrepancy on readers' text processing of and memory for the sources of brief news reports. Each story included two assertions that were attributed to different sources. We manipulated whether the second assertion was either discrepant or consistent with the first assertion. On the basis of the discrepancy-induced source comprehension (D-ISC) assumption, we predicted that discrepant stories would promote deeper processing and better memory for the sources conveying the messages, as compared to consistent stories. As predicted, readers mentioned more sources in summaries of discrepant stories, recalled more sources, made more fixations, and displayed longer gaze times in source areas when reading discrepant than when reading consistent stories. In Experiment 2, we found enhanced memory for source-content links for discrepant stories even when intersentential connectors were absent, and regardless of the reading goals. Discussion was focused on discrepancies as one mechanism by which readers are prompted to encode source-content links more deeply, as a method of integrating disparate pieces of information into a coherent mental representation of a text.Keywords Discrepancies . Eye movements . Memory . Sources . Text comprehensionThere is an old saying that "there are two sides to every story." This saying describes the observation that, in everyday contexts, we are frequently presented with and must comprehend uncertain or tentative events, which have resulted in multiple interpretations. In newspaper reports, for example, a single event is often described (e.g., a fire in a building) that may be attributed to various reasons (sabotage vs. electrical malfunction), either within the same report or across several different ones. These kinds of discrepancies are notably different from simple errors in reporting; in fact, they are part and parcel of the state of affairs of the situation. In the present example, the cause of the fire may have been uncertain at the time that the newspapers were printed, investigation may be ongoing, and so on.The present experiments were designed to give some clarity regarding the cognitive mechanisms that operate during the comprehension of discrepancies like these when they appear in texts, particularly when different sources are associated with the conflicting pieces of information (e.g., "The detective claims that the fire in the building was due to sabotage. However, a journalist asserts that the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction."). In the present work, we argue that comprehending discrepancies of this kind requires that readers attend to-and at times rememberwho said what. More colloquially, in the event that readers have accessed a discrepancy during reading, are they more Mem Cogn (2012) 40:450-465 DOI 10.3758/s13421-011-0160-6 likely to pay attention to and remember the "two sides to the story," and if so, why? Do readers regularly monitor their understandings of texts and notice when texts present conflicting...

Effects of Source Information on Learning and Integration of Information on Genetically Modified Foods

“…Thus, the presence of conflicting opinions contributed to the effects of source information to a certain extent, but did not eliminate the effects. This is not only consistent with the discrepancy-induced source comprehension hypothesis (Braasch et al, 2012), but also extends the theory. For example, the effects of intra-text comprehension were found in only the expert-expert source condition when both texts presented negative opinions toward GM foods.…”

“…When participants notice conflicting information in texts, they would pay more attention to source information and be likely to evaluate it. Braasch, Rouet, Vibert, and Britt (2012) confirmed this hypothesis by eye movement recording experiments. They showed that participants gazed longer at inconsistent information compared to consistent information when they read text.…”

“…Thus, they should receive text information similarly irrespective of the status of the authors. Alternatively, according to the discrepancy-induced source comprehension hypothesis (Braasch et al, 2012), the participants should rely more on either expert or layperson information.…”

Conflicting but close: Readers’ integration of information sources as a function of their disagreement

“…Braasch et al (2012) presented brief fictitious news articles on various topics containing two sources (embedded characters) that made specific assertions about the situation depicted in the text. Consider the following example, in which two claims regarding the cause of a fire in a building are reported: BThe detective claims that the fire in the warehouse was caused by a malfunction in the electrical circuit.…”

“…Previous research has found evidence that discrepancies prompt readers to include source-to-content links in their representation of the text (Braasch, Rouet, Vibert, & Britt, 2012;Rouet, Le Bigot, de Pereyra, & Britt, 2016). This study examines the hypothesis that discrepancies also prompt readers to strengthen the association between the sources issuing the conflicting statements.…”