Reading from Single Versus Multiple Displays: A Cross-Sectional Developmental Comparison

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Reading mastery involves processing sequential stimuli.
• Children's ability to process multiple stimuli improves with reading experience.
• The serial superiority effect, the tendency to recall items from the beginning and end of a list better than the middle, is a key aspect of sequential processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the serial superiority effect in relation to reading experience.
• To compare reading performance using single- and multiple-word displays in Italian children.
• To analyze reading performance using models that account for global components of individual variability.

Main Methods:

• Ninety 1st- to 3rd-grade students participated.
• Children read words presented in single- (sequential) and multiple- (static array) display conditions.
• Reading times were analyzed using Dynamic Exponent Models (DEM), Random Access Models (RAM), and State Trace Analysis.

Main Results:

• Reading times were significantly faster in the multiple-display condition compared to the single-display condition.
• The advantage of multiple-display reading increased linearly with years of schooling.
• Global processing models effectively captured reading acquisition, highlighting the growing difference between single and multiple display processing.

Conclusions:

• Reading experience enhances the ability to process multiple stimuli simultaneously.
• Global processing models provide valuable insights into early reading acquisition.
• The study demonstrates a progressive mastery of visual processing skills crucial for reading development.