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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Prior Knowledge and Reading Comprehension Test Bias

Abstract

dc:description

This dissertation examined bias, especially that due to prior knowledge, in tests of reading comprehension. A pilot study demonstrated that prior knowledge has a strong and measurable effect on comprehension from expository text, even when measured with multiple choice questions. This was demonstrated in two ways, by (a) measuring prior knowledge with passage independent questions, and (b) creating an unfamiliar text by substituting pseudowords for certain familiar words in the text.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph.D.
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Education
Grantor
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Year dc:date
2014

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Johnston, Peter H.

Subjects

dc:subject × 1

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Identifier
(UMI)AAI8203497
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/68747

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
Base URL
www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Johnston, Peter H.. Prior Knowledge and Reading Comprehension Test Bias. Dissertation thesis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2142/68747