The revised coherence version measurably increased textual coherence on two quantitative indices¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 1998 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The coherence version scored higher than the original on both indices of textual coherence (embedded propositions and argument repetitions per idea unit). → Vidal-Abarca 1998

Evidence¶

Vidal-Abarca 1998¶

Vidal-Abarca, E., & Sanjosé, V. (1998). Levels of comprehension of scientific prose: The role of text variables. Learning and Instruction, 8(3), 215-233. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959475297000200

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Manipulation check comparing text versions on two coherence indices computed over propositionalized idea units. The second index averaged "5.014 for the original version, and 6.17 for the coherence passage, t(147)=2.48, p<.05"; original and linking versions did not differ.

"Wefoundthattheaveragenumberof propositionsfromprevi- ousidea-unitsembeddedinsubsequentoneswas0.232fortheoriginalversion,and0.645 forthecoherenceversion, t(147)=2.48, p<.05."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Coherence textual changes improve tenth graders' main-idea performance on a scientific text — related
• Neither textual change significantly improves recall of low-level idea units, contradicting the recall hypothesis — related
• Each kind of textual change selectively aids recall of the idea units it itself highlights — related
• Textual material treated with embedded aids produced 10-15% higher reading comprehension scores than conventional text, statistically significant at the .01 level, in a science-material study with approximately 200 tenth graders across three schools. — related