Abstract
The PREG model of question asking assumes that questions emerge when there is cognitive disequilibrium, as in the case of contradictions, obstacles, and anomalies. Participants read illustrated texts about everyday devices (e.g., a cylinder lock) and then were placed in cognitive disequilibrium through a breakdown scenario (e.g.,the key turns but the bolt does not move). The participants asked questions when given the breakdown scenario, and an eyetracker recorded their fixations. As was predicted, deep comprehenders asked better questions and fixated on device components that explained the malfunction. The eye fixations were examined before, during, and after the participants’ questions in order to trace the occurrence and timing of convergence on faults, causal reasoning, and other cognitive processes.
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This research was supported by grants awarded to the first author by the Office of Naval Research (N00014-98-1-0331, N00014-01-1-0917, and N00014-00-1-0600) and the National Science Foundation (SBR-0126265, REC 0106965, and ITR 0325428). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the Office of Naval Research.
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Graesser, A.C., Lu, S., Olde, B.A. et al. Question asking and eye tracking during cognitive disequilibrium: Comprehending illustrated texts on devices when the devices break down. Memory & Cognition 33, 1235–1247 (2005). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193225
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193225