Does mood influence text processing and comprehension? Evidence from an eye-movement study

Abstract

Background: Previous research has indicated that mood influences cognitive processes. However, there is scarce data regarding the link between everyday emotional states and readers' text processing and comprehension.

Aim: We aim to extend current research on the effects of mood induction on science text processing and comprehension, using eye-tracking methodology. We investigated whether a positive-, negative-, and neutral-induced mood influences online processing, as revealed by indices of visual behaviour during reading, and offline text comprehension, as revealed by post-test questions. We were also interested in the link between text processing and comprehension.

Sample: Seventy-eight undergraduate students randomly assigned to three mood-induction conditions.

Methods: Students were mood-induced by watching a video clip. They were then asked to read a scientific text while eye movements were registered. Pre- and post-reading knowledge was assessed through open-ended questions.

Results: Experimentally induced moods lead readers to process an expository text differently. Overall, students in a positive mood spent significantly longer on the text processing than students in the negative and neutral moods. Eye-movement patterns indicated more effective processing related to longer proportion of look-back fixation times in positive-induced compared with negative-induced readers. Students in a positive mood also comprehended the text better, learning more factual knowledge, compared with students in the negative group. Only for the positive-induced readers did the more purposeful second-pass reading positively predict text comprehension.

Conclusions: New insights are given on the effects of normal mood variations and students' text processing and comprehension by the use of eye-tracking methodology. Important implications for the role of emotional states in educational settings are highlighted.

Keywords: eye-tracking; mood induction; text processing and comprehension.