Reading is a part of our daily life. It enables us to get information, for example when we read a newspaper, or it is just for entertainment. Once we have learned to read, we are not able to stop it anymore. If we see a text, we read it automatically and know what it means. But how is it possible that we understand the meaning of a text? What is going on inside our brain while we are reading? And how are we able to remember and recall something from a text?
These are central questions the text processing research concentrates on. In order to find an answer to them, researchers have different approaches. One of them is the construction-integration model by Walter Kintsch, which has its origin in several earlier models of processing.
The main field of application for this model is instruction. The results of research on learning can be used to create new instruction methods, which facilitate the process of learning and advance the ability to remember what has just been learned.
My term paper is going to concentrate on Kintsch’s construction-integration model and its assumptions. It is structured into two parts. The first part gives an overview of the theory. To be able to understand the model, I will initially describe its different components, namely: propositions, the text base, the situation model, and inferences (chapter 2). Then, I will briefly dwell on Kintsch’s earlier models (chapter 3). Afterwards, I will explain the model itself and give a short evaluation of it in chapter 4. The second part of the term paper consists of my imitation of an experiment on the existence of propositions, which was originally carried out by Gail McKoon and Roger Ratcliff (chapter 5).
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Important Components of Kintsch's Model
- Propositions
- The Text Base
- The Situation Model
- Inferences
- Earlier Models
- The Construction-Integration Model
- The Construction Process
- The Integration Process
- Evaluation of the Model
- Experiment
- Description of the Original Experiment
- My Realization of the Experiment
- Results of my Experiment
- Comparison of the Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- References
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This term paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Walter Kintsch's construction-integration model of text comprehension, focusing on its assumptions and applications within the field of instruction. The paper explores the model's key components, including propositions, the text base, the situation model, and inferences, while also analyzing its relationship to earlier models. The paper concludes with a detailed examination of an experiment designed to investigate the concept of propositions, replicating an original study conducted by Gail McKoon and Roger Ratcliff.
- Text comprehension and processing
- The construction-integration model by Walter Kintsch
- Propositions and the text base
- The situation model and inferences
- Application of the model in instructional design
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter introduces the concept of text processing and comprehension, highlighting its significance in everyday life. It also presents the construction-integration model as a central approach within text processing research, emphasizing its application in instruction.
Chapter 2 delves into the important components of Kintsch's model, explaining propositions as the basic semantic units that represent the meaning of a text. The chapter also discusses the text base, which is a network of propositions that provides coherence to the text. Furthermore, it explores the situation model, which integrates the text base with existing knowledge, and the role of inferences in building a complete understanding.
Chapter 3 provides a brief overview of earlier models of text processing that influenced Kintsch's work, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of the construction-integration model.
Chapter 4 focuses on the construction-integration model itself, outlining its two core processes: construction and integration. The chapter also presents a brief evaluation of the model's strengths and weaknesses, highlighting its effectiveness in understanding text comprehension.
Chapter 5 describes an experiment designed to investigate the existence of propositions, drawing on an original study conducted by Gail McKoon and Roger Ratcliff. It details the experimental setup, the results obtained from replicating the study, and a comparison of these results with the original findings. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings and their relevance to the construction-integration model.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary keywords associated with this paper include text comprehension, construction-integration model, propositions, text base, situation model, inferences, instruction, learning, and experimental research.
- Quote paper
- Saskia Bachner (Author), 2007, Text Processing and Text Comprehension according to Walter Kintsch, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/114251
