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Self-Generated Explanations on the Question Demands are not Always Helpful

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2013

Raquel Cerdán ,
Ramiro Gilabert  and
Eduardo Vidal-Abarca
Raquel Cerdán*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
Ramiro Gilabert
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
Eduardo Vidal-Abarca
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Raquel Cerdán. Universidad de Valencia. Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology. Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21. 46010. Valencia (Spain). E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

This study had two main purposes. First, to measure high-school students’ task model representation under the instruction to self-explain questions; second, to test the effects of self-generated explanations on task-demands understanding and performance on questions. We designed a simple experimental situation where high-school students were asked to read two texts and answer questions. Only in half of the questions students were required to self-explain with their own words what the question was asking them for before answering. Contrary to our expectations, self-explaining the questions did not significantly affect skilled comprehenders, whereas it hindered performance in less-skilled comprehenders. Moreover, it inhibited their active engagement in search for textual units of information. Less-skilled comprehenders’ explanation protocols included inaccuracies, with consequences on the search process and success in the task. The relationship among quality of task model, search for information and success is discussed in light of the TRACE model (Rouet, 2006).

Keywords

task-oriented readingself-explanationscomprehensionindividual differences
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 16 , 2013 , E26
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

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Footnotes

This research was conducted with the financial support of the Spanish Ministerio de Educación (Project: EDU2008-03072/EDUC)

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