FACILITATING KNOWLEDGE-BASED INFERENCES IN LESS-SKILLED READERS

The present study replicated Long, Oppy, and Seely's (1994) finding th at skilled readers make knowledge-based inferences spontaneously durin g reading whereas less-skilled renders do not. However, the study also showed that less-skilled readers can make knowledge-based inferences with appropriate textual support. Evidence for knowledge-based inferen ces was obtained by examining whether readers were faster to make lexi cal decision responses to theme-appropriate targets (e.g., burglar) th an to theme-inappropriate targets (e.g., blueprint), when reading shor t passages (e.g., The old woman awoke to a sound from downstairs. Site reached into her purse and found only a file.). Whereas skilled reade rs generated knowledge-based inferences under all text conditions, les s-skilled readers only showed evidence of having generated knowledge-b ased inferences when the text incorporated a question inviting the inf erence (e.g., The old woman awoke and said 'Why is there a sound downs tairs?' She reached into her purse and found only a file.) and text-pr esentation Speed was slower. (C) 1998 Academic Press.