TOPIC INTEREST AND FREE-RECALL OF EXPOSITORY TEXT

This study investigated the relations between topic interest, cognitiv e characteristics, Variables of the reading process, and free recall o f expository text. Eighty male university students were presented with a text on ''Psychology of Communication.'' Frier to reading the text, general intelligence, prior knowledge, and topic interest were assess ed. The results revealed that topic interest was significantly related to recall of idea units, elaborations, and main ideas. In addition, i nterest was significantly related to the sequence of recalled main ide as. The relations between interest and the various indicators of recal l were independent of prior knowledge and intelligence. Topic interest , but neither prior knowledge nor intelligence, was significantly rela ted to variables of the reading process (e.g., arousal). However, no e vidence was found that these variables mediate substantial parts of th e effect of topic interest on recall.