Does mood influence text processing and comprehension? Evidence from an eye-movement study

Previous research has indicated that mood influences cognitive processes. However, there is scarce data regarding the link between everyday emotional states and readers' text processing and comprehension.

We aim to extend current research on the effects of mood induction on science text processing and comprehension, using eye-tracking methodology. We investigated whether a positive-, negative-, and neutral-induced mood influences online processing, as revealed by indices of visual behaviour during reading, and offline text comprehension, as revealed by post-test questions. We were also interested in the link between text processing and comprehension.

Seventy-eight undergraduate students randomly assigned to three mood-induction conditions.

Students were mood-induced by watching a video clip. They were then asked to read a scientific text while eye movements were registered. Pre- and post-reading knowledge was assessed through open-ended questions.

Experimentally induced moods lead readers to process an expository text differently. Overall, students in a positive mood spent significantly longer on the text processing than students in the negative and neutral moods. Eye-movement patterns indicated more effective processing related to longer proportion of look-back fixation times in positive-induced compared with negative-induced readers. Students in a positive mood also comprehended the text better, learning more factual knowledge, compared with students in the negative group. Only for the positive-induced readers did the more purposeful second-pass reading positively predict text comprehension.

New insights are given on the effects of normal mood variations and students' text processing and comprehension by the use of eye-tracking methodology. Important implications for the role of emotional states in educational settings are highlighted.