College Students’ Reader Identity: Differences by Gender
Disciplines
Other Psychology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Reader identity or how one perceives oneself as a reader is a key determinant of reading success. However, little is known about how college students’ reader identity varies by gender and impacts reading outcomes by gender. This is especially critical to consider as women have historically been stereotyped as more adept at reading than men. Drawing from the reader identity theory, this conception assumes that women have more positive reader identities than men and gender moderates the effect of reader identity on achievement. The current study sought to test this phenomenon. Thus, the study examines how reader identity varies by gender, investigates differences in comprehension by gender, and explores how reader identity predicts comprehension by gender. 259 students (68.1% Female; 31.9% Male) enrolled in introductory psychology courses participated in the online study. Participants responded to a reader identity questionnaire and read a text about remote countries. Comprehension was measured with a 10-item multiple choice test (5 items = shallow comprehension; 5 items = deep comprehension). There was no statistically significant difference in reader identity by gender. However, males (M = 60.7, SD = 20.6) outperformed females (M = 54.5, SD = 21.0) in overall comprehension, p < .05. Males (M = 67.8, SD = 29.8) outperformed females (M = 58.5, S = 32.5) in lower-order comprehension, p < .05. Males performed better (M = 46.0, S = 27.8) than females (M = 37.2, SD = 27.6) in deep comprehension, p < .05. Gender did not moderate the effect of reader identity on shallow or deep comprehension, ps > .05. Our results suggest no differences in reader identity by gender. Gender differences in comprehension exist. However, differences are not accounted for by reader identity. The study expands the reader identity literature and gives insight into reader identity dynamics by gender.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Psychological Science
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Ordene Edwards
College Students’ Reader Identity: Differences by Gender
Reader identity or how one perceives oneself as a reader is a key determinant of reading success. However, little is known about how college students’ reader identity varies by gender and impacts reading outcomes by gender. This is especially critical to consider as women have historically been stereotyped as more adept at reading than men. Drawing from the reader identity theory, this conception assumes that women have more positive reader identities than men and gender moderates the effect of reader identity on achievement. The current study sought to test this phenomenon. Thus, the study examines how reader identity varies by gender, investigates differences in comprehension by gender, and explores how reader identity predicts comprehension by gender. 259 students (68.1% Female; 31.9% Male) enrolled in introductory psychology courses participated in the online study. Participants responded to a reader identity questionnaire and read a text about remote countries. Comprehension was measured with a 10-item multiple choice test (5 items = shallow comprehension; 5 items = deep comprehension). There was no statistically significant difference in reader identity by gender. However, males (M = 60.7, SD = 20.6) outperformed females (M = 54.5, SD = 21.0) in overall comprehension, p < .05. Males (M = 67.8, SD = 29.8) outperformed females (M = 58.5, S = 32.5) in lower-order comprehension, p < .05. Males performed better (M = 46.0, S = 27.8) than females (M = 37.2, SD = 27.6) in deep comprehension, p < .05. Gender did not moderate the effect of reader identity on shallow or deep comprehension, ps > .05. Our results suggest no differences in reader identity by gender. Gender differences in comprehension exist. However, differences are not accounted for by reader identity. The study expands the reader identity literature and gives insight into reader identity dynamics by gender.