Exploring the relation between reading comprehension and executive functions: Does the level of reading comprehension test matter?

Background

Contemporary models for explaining reading comprehension add additional variables such as executive functions to explain students' performance. Executive functions are a set of cognitive skills that enable individuals to plan, organize, and regulate their behavior to achieve goals. The relation between executive functions and reading comprehension is not conclusive and results can partly be explained depending on the level at which reading comprehension is assessed.

Aim

This study examines the magnitude of the relation between executive functions components and different levels of reading comprehension.

Sample

Participants were 395 Chilean fourth grade students.

Method

Executive functions were assessed through tasks of inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility, as well as reading comprehension at the level of words, sentences and texts.

Results

Regression analysis shows that the amount of variance explained by executive functions increases with the complexity of the reading comprehension level. Comparatively, the executive components model accounts for the most variance in reading comprehension at the text level. Inhibition, working memory and flexibility share significant variance with all levels of reading comprehension.

Conclusions

The results suggest that the level of complexity of the reading comprehension task used determines the effect of executive functions in explaining this relation, with inhibition and working memory being the executive component that shares the most variance across all comprehension levels tested.