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The Effect of Explanatory and Non-Explanatory Illustrations on Text Comprehension

Abstract Details

2008, Master of Arts, Marietta College, Psychology.
This study investigated the extent to which illustrations affect reading comprehension, specifically in academic textbooks. Although prior research has examined the use of illustrations in text, the current project sought to expand upon this topic by comparing text passages with different types of illustrations, which were relevant to the text (i.e., explanatory and nonexplanatory). Based on evidence that illustrations facilitate comprehension only when theyelaborate on the text and might be distracting when they are not explanatory, it was predicted that the text/non-explanatory illustration condition would yield the lowest comprehension, the text/explanatory illustration condition would yield the highest, and the text-only condition would fall somewhere in the middle. The central hypothesis for this study was not supported. Results showed that the text-only condition showed the highest comprehension levels, suggesting that neither type of illustration benefited comprehension.
Jennifer McCabe, PhD (Advisor)
Alicia Doerflinger, PhD (Committee Chair)
51 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kuhen, D. M. (2008). The Effect of Explanatory and Non-Explanatory Illustrations on Text Comprehension [Master's thesis, Marietta College]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=marietta1219089960

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kuhen, Darlene. The Effect of Explanatory and Non-Explanatory Illustrations on Text Comprehension. 2008. Marietta College, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=marietta1219089960.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kuhen, Darlene. "The Effect of Explanatory and Non-Explanatory Illustrations on Text Comprehension." Master's thesis, Marietta College, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=marietta1219089960

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)