Language and Culture

When listening to a sentence, a listener makes predictions about up-coming words (for instance, predicting 'sugar' after hearing 'I drink my coffee with cream and ...'). When people's predictions are correct, words are read faster because the person has anticipated what is coming up. Past experimental research has demonstrated that prediction in a reading task is modulated by reading skill. The interpretation of this finding is that because reading exposes people to different types of sentence structures and to a wider range of vocabulary, individuals with high reading skill have added knowledge that can be used to generate accurate predictions. One aspect not considered in past literature, however, is the role of socioeconomic status (SES). This is an important variable to investigate because individuals from low SES backgrounds are also more likely to have less reading experience. Hence, it is unclear whether it is reading skill per se or socioeconomic status that impacts predictive ability. Clarifying this point is the goal of the present doctoral dissertation research study. Findings will be used to create and to offer literacy workshops for diverse and less-advantaged populations.

This project is administered by The Pennsylvania State University with funding by the US National Science Foundation.

To learn more, contact project lead Dr. Paola Eulalia Dussias: pdussias@psu.edu.