What lexical decision and naming tell us about reading

The lexical decision (LD) and naming (NAM) tasks are ubiquitous paradigms that employ printed word identification. They are major tools for investigating how factors like morphology, semantic information, lexical neighborhood and others affect identification. Although use of the tasks is widespread, there has been little research into how performance in LD or NAM relates to reading ability, a deficiency that limits the translation of research with these tasks to the understanding of individual differences in reading. The present research was designed to provide a link from LD and NAM to the specific variables that characterize reading ability (e.g., decoding, sight word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) as well as to important reading-related abilities (phonological awareness and rapid naming). We studied 99 adults with a wide range of reading abilities. LD and NAM strongly predicted individual differences in word identification, less strongly predicted vocabulary size and did not predict comprehension. Fluency was predicted but with differences that depended on the way fluency was defined. Finally, although the tasks did not predict individual differences in rapid naming or phonological awareness, the failures nevertheless assisted in understanding the cognitive mechanisms behind these reading-related abilities. The results demonstrate that LD and NAM are important tools for the study of individual differences in reading.     

AGE DIFFERENCES IN EFFICIENCY OF READING COMPREHENSION FROM PRINTED VERSUS COMPUTER‐DISPLAYED TEXT

Computer technology has become a tremendous aid in examining the aging process as it relates to reading by allowing researchers to measure and control processing time. But is the computer a passive player in the study of reading and aging? Are we overlooking interactions between computers and participants using them? This study compared two types of computer presentation (investigator‐paced and self‐paced by the reader) to reading from the printed page. Older adults were most efficient in their reading comprehension when reading from the printed page, while young adults were most efficient from computer‐paced text. Although reading is a highly practiced skill for both young and old adults, the computer method of presentation is much less familiar to old adults. An overestimation of age differences with misleading findings may occur if computers are routinely used to study age differences in reading comprehension.     

Teachers and tolerance: Discriminating diversity dispositions

Abstract

Prevailing values of equity and social justice are increasingly espoused in the mission and policy statements of public institutions, organizations, and agencies. In higher education, teacher preparation programs are considered to be key contributors to the cultivation of mores of inclusiveness, where diversity is embraced and appreciated in its multitude of forms. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the diversity dispositions of a group of preservice and inservice teachers participating in a multicultural education course at a university in the deep southern region of the United States. Data were collected in the following ways: (a) autobiographical accounts that participants compiled and shared; (b) responses to abbreviated biographies in an online discussion forum; (c) face‐to‐face discussions of issues related to goals of equity, tolerance, and social justice in schools; and (d) instructor observations of participants' interactions with each other. The research revealed that in the electronic forum the teacher candidates and practicing teachers were particularly candid in reflecting upon and revealing their cultural roots, perceptions, and experiences and validated many—but not all—‐peer self‐reports of marginalization. Three major diversity dispositions emerged in the data analysis: (a) cultural consciousness, (b) intercultural sensitivity, and (c) commitment to social justice. The study also illuminated the challenge inherent in critically examining and sharing diversity dispositions when considering issues of discrimination, prejudice, and segregation in a multicultural setting. Although limited in scope and generalizibility, the findings provide insights into ways of framing tolerance sensibilities and for improving educators' capacities to reassess candidates' diversity dispositions.