The Interaction between Knowledge and Structure Variables in the Processing of Expository Prose

An extensive review was conducted of research regarding the varying influences on text processing & comprehension of (1) world knowledge, defined as organized knowledge of the world; (2) text structure, defined as a characteristic of the text; & (3) interaction between world knowledge & text structure. It is argued that although text structure is not particularly important if the reader is familiar with the subject matter, it is essential if he /she is not, as it is only through the structure that relations between the text's concepts can be identified. It is noted that knowledge is gained primarily from unfamiliar material. Nonetheless, world knowledge can also be an important factor & should be considered simultaneously with text structure in future research. Understanding the interaction between world knowledge & text structure could furnish the basis for significant growth in text processing research. 79 References. J. W. Stanton