The role of domain-specific knowledge in the reading comprehension of adult readers

Abstract

The role of domain-specific knowledge in reading comprehension performance was explored within the context of three current theories of reading comprehension skill: the simple view of reading, verbal efficiency theory, and the construction-integration model of comprehension. According to these theories, domain-specific knowledge is not implicated in the on-line processing of text, or in comprehension processes associated with basic meaning construction or with the creation of a text-base model. The role of domain-specific knowledge in the on-line processing of text and in reading comprehension was explored in two knowledge domains: astronomy and computers. In a study of fluent adult readers, those with relatively high levels of astronomy knowledge named astronomy words more accurately and more quickly compared to control words of the same length and frequency that fluent adult readers with relatively low levels of astronomy knowledge. Astronomy and computer knowledge were also significant predictors of reading rate: higher levels of domain-specific knowledge were associated with faster reading rates. These data suggest that domain-specific knowledge may affect the speed with which individual domain-specific words are processed as well as the rate at which text is processed. Domain-specific knowledge was a significant predictor of reading comprehension performance in both the astronomy and computer domains after controlling for other variables such as word recognition skill and general language comprehension skill, indicating that domain-specific knowledge has a role to play in reading comprehension performance. While domain-specific knowledge had a consistently facilitative effect on reading comprehension performance for fluent adult readers, it had a facilitative effect for those with a reading disability only in the computer condition. The implications for these results for models of reading comprehension are discussed.