Text processing and knowledge updating in memory for radio news∗

Part of this research was presented at the XXII International Congress of Psychology, Leipzig, July 1980. Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Steen F. Larsen, Institute of Psychology, 4 Asylvej, DK‐8240 Risskov, Denmark.

Abstract

In this study, theories of discourse processing are applied to mass communicated news reports. Subjects' free recall and prior knowledge of an ordinary 5‐min. radio news bulletin was examined. The bulletin comprised four different news items and was broadcast immediately prior to the experiment. Two predictions from the text processing theory of Kintsch & van Dijk (1978) were confirmed. Thus, propositions selected by the buffer memory mechanism of the theory, and propositions included in the macrostructure derived according to the theory, both had increased recall probabilities. The two factors interacted, however, suggesting that the derivation of macrostructure dominated the subjects' processing strategy. Propositions denoting facts that were previously known by most subjects had increased probability of recall too. Among unfamiliar propositions, chronologically new information tended to be recalled more frequently than unfamiliar background information. The latter result suggests that subjects attempted to use the news for updating their previous knowledge, although only to a limited extent compared to the effects of text structure processing and familiarity.

Notes

Part of this research was presented at the XXII International Congress of Psychology, Leipzig, July 1980. Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Steen F. Larsen, Institute of Psychology, 4 Asylvej, DK‐8240 Risskov, Denmark.