Narrative comprehension of bridging inferences remains stable across the adult age span¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Comprehension did not decline with increasing age (18–87 years). → Markus Huff 2025 q3 i? Bayesian comparison favored a codality-only model over one including age. → Markus Huff 2025 (2)

Evidence¶

Markus Huff 2025¶

Markus Huff, Natalia Gagarina, Ekaterina Varkentin, Irina R. Brich. (2025). Education, Not Age, Linked to Narrative Comprehension. https://aspredicted.org/WT9_TK6

q3 · i? · causal · r3

In the preregistered representative-sample experiment (N = 1487), age was treated as a centered continuous predictor; the age effect was not significant: "narrative comprehension did not decline with increasing age, χ2(1) = 2.14, p = .143." No effect size was printed.

"Not confirming Hypothesis 2, narrative comprehension did not decline with increasing age, χ2(1) = 2.14, p = .143."

Markus Huff 2025 (2)¶

Markus Huff, Natalia Gagarina, Ekaterina Varkentin, Irina R. Brich. (2025). Education, Not Age, Linked to Narrative Comprehension. https://aspredicted.org/WT9_TK6

q3 · i? · causal · r3

Bayesian model comparison in the same experiment provided "at least substantial evidence for the codality-only model and absence of age effects" (mean BF = 129.81), explicitly supporting the null hypothesis of no age effect.

"The mean BF of this codality-only model over the main effects model was 129.81 (range = 7.36-3.70 x 105), thus, providing at least substantial evidence for the codality-only model and absence of age effects"

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Inferencing — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Narrative comprehension increases from low to high education, independent of narrative codality — related
• Pictorial narratives are comprehended better than textual narratives across all education and age groups — related
• No interaction between education or age and narrative codality on comprehension — related