Distinctions Between Reading Comprehension and Locating Information in Text

Reading comprehension is usually operationalized as text recall. However, locating information such as facts, names, or numbers in text is a reading task requiring comprehension that is distinct from text recall in two respects. First, cognitive processes that control reading comprehension and locating information are expected to be different; second, the frequency of engagement in comprehension and locating are expected to be independent. We examined these expectations by identifying four reading tasks frequently performed by 45 electronics engineers and technicians. Real world reading tasks were simulated with sets of test items in the following domains: (a) comprehending articles, (b) locating information in schematics, (c) locating information in articles, and (d) locating information in manuals. Factor analyses for both the engineers and technicians resulted in two factors, one for comprehension (a) and one for locating information (b, c, d), with a correlation of less than .20. Factor analyses of reading engagement for both groups resulted in factors of (a) comprehending articles, (b) locating information in articles, (c) reading schematics, and (d) reading manuals. Canonical correlations for both groups showed no association between reading engagement variables and reading competence (comprehending and locating) variables. The results signify that locating information is a generalized cognitive process that may be applied to prose in articles, information in manuals, and components in schematics; however, it was psychometrically distinct from prose comprehension. Engagement in reading had a more complex structure; locating was independent of comprehension for articles, but the two were indistinguishable for schematics and manuals. Apparently, a complete cognitive model that accounts for locating information will require cognitive components not presently included in models of prose processing.