Dynamic Text Comprehension

Dynamic Text Comprehension: An Integrative View of Reading
Author(s): David N. Rapp and Paul van den Broek
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 14, No. 5 (Oct., 2005), pp. 276-279
Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. on behalf of Association for Psychological Science
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20183043 .
Accessed: 25/04/2012 14:44
Youruse of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity andfacilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Sage Publications, Inc. and Association for Psychological Science are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize,
preserve and extend access to Current Directions in Psychological Science.

http://www.jstor.org

Text

Dynamic
An Integrative

human

of

of cognitive

it also

of"mini-theories"

in reality

are

intertwined

Theories
capture
reading

comprehension

fluctuations

in

the

the

of

reader's

the Landscape
match

ulations

We

data.

empirical

of the DTC framework

implications

its

sim

of a text,

text

text processing;

text

the most

of

cognitive
our

hanced

textual

(e.g.,

prehensionthe

properties

the

reader's

on).

Unfortunately,

problems
relative

of

its own.

isolation,

success

First,

resulting

about the contribution

each

of

through

of

factor

in a large

tends

number

has

aspects

tional

of Minnesota,
versity
umn.edu.

Minneapolis,

MN,

55455;

in

studied

of "mini-theories"

e-mail:multiple
this

illustrate

model,

in

data and phenomena

for the validity and
a discussion

with

close

the

from

of findings

of a DTC

implications

of

view.

OF CURRENT APPROACHES

of Educa
S.E.,

Uni

rappx009@

are not hard

of reading

concerns

to find.

recent

considerable

comprehension

One

specific

interest

thatexample

in the field of text

accounts

theoretical

isolated

of how

informa

(or reactivated) from background knowledge
during reading. The research on this issue has resulted in hy
potheses that seemingly are in competition but in reality likely
describe

spective,
triggers
and

different

each

word,

been

2005 American Psychological Society

proposed.
orspread

in memory
this

the

phrase,

an automatic

In

of

aspects

have

concepts

knowledge.

276 Copyright ?

inherent to investigating

tion is activated

created

of individual factors, with little consid

to David
N. Rapp,
Department
correspondence
Drive
178 Pillsbury
206 Burton
Hall,
Psychology,

We

practical

of the limitationsmechanisms

Address

and

has received

the diffi

to be

We

convergence

framework.

the DTC

on

the Landscape

instance,

The

attempted
framework,

focuses

reading.

during

has

conceptual

that

(DTC),

particular

comprehension.

Examples

com

influence

research

a

of
on

of focus

limitations
research

reading

introducecaptures a range of empirical

LIMITATIONS

in reading skill, and so

this

how

We

the dif

of populations

mental

knowledge,

background

culty of the text, individual differences
the

that

factors

a

the

readers'

knowledge,

variables

exemplify

consider

inter

of

to successful

contribute

we

interactions

theoretical

en...