ABSTRACT
Human communication is based on signs, which are used by individuals in order to exchange information (Bühler, 1934). These signs can be verbal signs, as in the case of words that are combined into sentences that hopefully form coherent texts. They can also be pictorial signs as in the case of realistic pictures or graphs, often referred to as logical pictures. Comprehension of texts and pictures is fundamental to the functioning of the human cognitive system in contemporary civilization. Current psychological approaches emphasize the active, constructive nature of human cognition. Accordingly, when an individual learns from text and pictures, the person actively searches for information, selects particular information, evaluates the relevance of the information for specific purposes, and builds a knowledge structure that accommodates present or anticipated demands (Shuell, 1988; Wittrock, 1989). Usually, text and picture comprehension do not occur in isolation. Instead, text comprehension occurs in the context of pictures and picture comprehension occurs in the context of text. A comprehensive theory of text and picture comprehension is needed that is embedded in a broader framework of human cognition and that considers the active, constructive nature of the human mind.
