Cognitive Processes in Skimming Stories

Abstract : This research investigated comprehension processes and memory representations involved in skimming stories. Experiments 1 and 2 used a timed recognition test to study the formation of macrostructure representations of narrative and newspaper stories while reading at rates ranging from 225-600 wpm. In some cases subjects were required to read stories typed in alternating cases in which every other letter was capitalized. Alternating case was meant to disrupt whole work visual identification processes which are hypothesized to play an important role in rapid reading tasks such as skimming. Even while skimming at 600 wpm and while reading alternating case, subjects were able to form macrostructure representations of stories that included much of the important information in a story and few details. Decreased performance on the surface memory recognition test as reading rate increased and when alternating case used was consistent with the hypothesis that rapid reading and alternating case both reduce the degree of detailed surface processing of text. The results of the four studies argue that the basic processes in skimming are similar to those of normal reading, especially in terms of the development of macrostructure representations, although surface structure processing is limited and readers must rely to a greater extent on the use of general knowledge and predictive reading processes while skimming.