You Pick'em: Selecting Main Ideas Versus Deleting Details

• In Event: Division C Roundtable

Abstract

Identifying the essential ideas in texts is critical to understanding their overall meaning. Yet, little is known about the most effective way of instructing readers on how to engage in this process. We conducted two experiments to examine the influence of three important factors: task (selection of essential sentences versus deletion of nonessential sentences), framing (referring to essential sentences as “main ideas” versus “important”), and readers’ prior knowledge on identifying essential sentences in expository texts. The results suggest that selection fosters more accurate identification of the most essential sentences compared to deletion, particularly for low-knowledge readers. The framing of essential ideas as “main ideas” versus “important” did not influence readers’ sentence choices.

Authors

• Reese Butterfuss, Arizona State University

• Ellen Orcutt, University of Minnesota

• Ying Fang

• Panayiota Kendeou, University of Minnesota

• Danielle S. McNamara, Arizona State University