Testing and Refining the Direct and Inferential Mediation Model of Reading Comprehension

Cromley, J.G.; Azevedo, R.

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/96252 Copy

Description

Title

Testing and Refining the Direct and Inferential Mediation Model of Reading Comprehension

Author(s)

• Cromley, J.G.
• Azevedo, R.

Issue Date

2007

Keyword(s)

• reading comprehension
• knowledge level
• inference
• strategies
• vocabulary

Abstract

A significant proportion of American high school students struggle with reading comprehension. Theoretical models of reading comprehension might help researchers understand these difficulties, because they can point to variables that make the largest contributions to comprehension. On the basis of an extensive review of the literature, we created a new model of reading comprehension, the direct and inferential mediation (DIME) model. The model hypothesizes relationships among background knowledge, inferences, reading comprehension strategies, vocabulary, and word reading and addresses the direct and mediated effects of these 5 predictors on comprehension. The authors tested the fit of the model and 3 variations of the model to data from 175 students in 9th grade. The DIME model explained 66% of the variance in comprehension. Vocabulary and background knowledge made the largest contributions to comprehension, followed by inference, word reading, and strategies. Analyses of participants scoring below the 30th percentile on comprehension showed these students to have low scores on all of the measures. The authors suggest that vocabulary and background knowledge interventions might be the best way to begin improving the academic reading comprehension of students like those in the sample.

Publisher

American Psychological Association

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/96252

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.2.311

Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)

AERA/Spencer Pre-Dissertation Fellowship; Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship; National Science Foundation (REC#0133346).

Copyright and License Information

Text (c) by the authors, 2007

Owning Collections