Question asking and eye tracking during cognitive disequilibrium: Comprehending illustrated texts on devices when the devices break down

    Authors

    A. C. Graesser; S. L. Lu; B. A. Olde; E. Cooper-Pye;S. Written

    Comments

    Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Mem. Cogn.

    Keywords

    INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES; MECHANICAL SYSTEMS; MENTAL ANIMATION; MOVEMENTS; INFORMATION; ATTENTION; DIAGRAMS; SCIENCE; MODELS; LIMITS; Psychology, Experimental

    Abstract

    The PREG model of question asking assumes that questions emerge when there is cognitive disequilibrium, as in the case of contradictions, obstacles, and anomalies. Participants read illustrated texts about everyday devices (e.g., a cylinder lock) and then were placed in cognitive disequilibrium through a breakdown scenario (e.g., the key turns but the bolt does not move). The participants asked questions when given the breakdown scenario, and an eyetracker recorded their fixations. As was predicted, deep comprehenders asked better questions and fixated on device components that explained the malfunction. The eye fixations were examined before, during, and after the participants' questions in order to trace the occurrence and timing of convergence on faults, causal reasoning, and other cognitive processes.

    Journal Title

    Memory & Cognition

    Volume

    33

    Issue/Number

    7

    Publication Date

    1-1-2005

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1235

    Last Page

    1247

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000235195900008

    ISSN

    0090-502X

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