Solving Compare Problems: An Eye-Movement Test of Lewis and Mayer's Consistency Hypothesis

In an attempt to explain pupils' and even adults' difficulties with particular types of compare problems, Lewis and Mayer (1987) have presented a model that simulates the comprehension processes when solving these problems. The basis of their model is the "consistency hypothesis", according to which students are more likely to make comprehension errors when the order of the terms in tha relational statement of the problem is not consistent with the preferred order. To test this model, we carried out two eye-movement experiments in which adults (Experiment 1), and third graders (Experiment 2) were administered a series of one-step compare problems, While the data of the adult subjects revealed no evidence in favor of the consistency hypothesis, the results of the third graders provided good support of the Lewis and Mayer (1987) model.