Boys-Specific Text-Comprehension Enhancement With Dual Visual-Auditory Text Presentation Among 12-14 Years-Old...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Language comprehension is crucial for academic success.
• Auditory processing precedes visual word recognition in development.
• Listening and reading comprehension difficulties are linked to school failure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex differences in Spanish text comprehension across visual, auditory, and dual-modality presentations.
• To examine the relationship between text comprehension and academic performance in adolescents.
• To explore the potential benefits of dual-modality presentation for diverse student populations.

Main Methods:

• Administered the PROLEC-R standardized reading test to 12-14-year-old native Spanish speakers.
• Assessed comprehension in visual, auditory, and dual-modality conditions.
• Controlled for cognitive variables: attention (d2), fluency (FAS), and processing speed (WISC Coding).

Main Results:

• Boys showed significantly improved comprehension in dual-modality compared to visual or auditory alone.
• Girls' comprehension was consistent across all three modalities.
• Students with low academic grades exhibited poor auditory comprehension but maintained levels with visual or dual-modality input.

Conclusions:

• Dual-modality presentation, integrating visual text with auditory input, benefits boys' comprehension.
• Visual support during auditory learning can enhance comprehension for underperforming students.
• Simultaneous speech transcription technology may support diverse learners, including non-native speakers.