Title

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

Authors

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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