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The relationship between mind wandering and reading comprehension: A meta-analysis.
Paola Bonifacci1, Cinzia Viroli2, Chiara Vassura3
1Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Picaht 5, Bologna, Italy. paola.bonifacci@unibo.it.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|July 15, 2022
Summary
Mind wandering (MW) negatively impacts reading comprehension (RC), but this relationship is influenced by how MW is measured. Trait-based questionnaires may obscure the true link between MW and RC.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Mind wandering (MW) is a common cognitive phenomenon where attention shifts from external tasks to internal thoughts.
- Previous research suggests a negative association between MW and reading comprehension (RC), but findings are inconsistent.
- Potential moderating factors, including participant characteristics and methodological variations, require further investigation.
Approach:
- A meta-analysis was conducted on 25 studies, encompassing 73 correlation coefficients, to quantitatively assess the MW-RC relationship.
- The study examined the influence of measurement methods (trait-based questionnaires vs. online probes) on the MW-RC correlation.
- The impact of participant age and various text characteristics on the relationship was also analyzed.
Key Points:
- The pooled correlation revealed a significant negative relationship between MW and RC (r = -0.21).
- Measuring MW using trait-based questionnaires, compared to online probes, resulted in a null correlation, indicating a significant methodological effect.
- Increasing age was associated with a stronger negative correlation between MW and RC.
Conclusions:
- MW and RC are partially overlapping constructs, influenced by shared factors like working memory, interest, and text length.
- Measurement methodology significantly impacts the observed relationship between MW and RC.
- Future research should explore individual differences in reading comprehension and refine measurement techniques for both MW and RC.
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