ABSTRACT
This study examined the ability of cognitive factors (i.e., prior domain knowledge, reading ability, and metacognitive reading strategies) to predict students’ comprehension of science texts and students’ performance in an introductory psychology course. Both prior knowledge and reading ability reliably predicted comprehension of the science text (about sensory memory). Prior knowledge was the best predictor for exam performance. However, greater knowledge provided no benefit for students who did not use certain types of metacognitive reading strategies. Also, the tendency to use previewing strategies only benefited students if they possessed sufficient prior knowledge.
