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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 11, 2025

Decomposing the Variance in Reading Comprehension to Reveal the Unique and Common Effects of Language and Decoding

Decomposing the Variance in Reading Comprehension to Reveal the Unique and Common Effects of Language and Decoding

Published on: October 11, 2018

Providing choice enhances reading motivation.

Amrita Bains^1,2, Carina Spaulding³, Jessie Ricketts¹

¹Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, Surrey, UK.

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006)

|August 18, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Giving students choices in reading materials boosts their reading motivation and enjoyment. This finding supports incorporating choice into literacy programs for better engagement and outcomes.

Keywords:

Reading agency autonomy choice decision making intrinsic reward motivation

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Last Updated: Sep 11, 2025

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Published on: October 11, 2018

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Published on: October 18, 2018

Area of Science:

Education
Psychology

Background:

Literacy programs often include student choice in reading materials to enhance motivation.
The effectiveness of choice in boosting reading motivation has not been experimentally verified.

Purpose of the Study:

To experimentally evaluate if providing choice in reading materials enhances reading motivation.
To determine if the type of choice (specific book vs. genre) impacts reading motivation.

Main Methods:

Developed a novel experimental paradigm to measure reading motivation.
Assessed the influence of book choice and genre choice on reading enjoyment and willingness to pay for books.

Main Results:

Providing any form of choice significantly increased reading enjoyment.
Participants showed a greater willingness to pay for books when offered a choice.
Both book-level and genre-level choices positively impacted motivation.

Conclusions:

Choice in reading material is an effective strategy for enhancing reading enjoyment and motivation.
Literacy programs can benefit from incorporating student choice to improve engagement.
The findings have practical implications for designing effective educational interventions.