The Reading Comprehension and Cognition (RCC) Lab at the University of New England is committed to gaining a deeper understanding of how people encode, store and retrieve information from memory, and assessing new ways to optimize the learning process.
Contact Information:
Email: sbcoglab@gmail.com
Phone: (207) 602-2031
We are open Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm during the semester.
The lab’s research explores fundamental and applied questions in human cognition, with a special focus on strengthening our understanding of cognition and learning processes in the context of reading comprehension.
Dr. Stiegler-Balfour’s earlier work examined factors that distinguish skilled readers from those with difficulties and identified effective interventions for addressing reading deficits. A key aspect of these studies was understanding the dynamic relationships that exists between reading ability, text characteristics, and reading strategies. In recognition of her contributions, Dr. Stiegler-Balfour received the Jason Albrecht Outstanding Young Scientist Award from the Society for Text and Discourse in 2010.
Today, Dr. Stiegler-Balfour’s research program continues to broaden around the theme of reading comprehension and the factors influencing the processing and recall of written information. Key areas of her research include:
- How is technology and devices impacting reading comprehension:
So much of what we read today for learning and leisure involves interacting with technology and screens. Through this area of her research, Dr. Stiegler-Balfour is asking important questions about the intersection of technology and reading comprehension. Specifically, whether digital reading or the use of audiobooks are viable alternatives to print-based reading. One such study, for example, has found that college-aged readers with lower comprehension skills struggled more with digital reading compared to print, while their higher-skilled counterparts performed equally but less efficiently on digital devices (Stiegler-Balfour et al., 2023).
Presented at the Council of Undergraduate Research’s Posters on the Hill in Washington, D.C., for members of Congress, another of Dr. Stiegler-Balfour’s studies examined differences in reading for leisure versus learning on e-readers, finding that while narrative text was easily read, expository text (i.e., informational text designed to explain and educate) required more time. Participants who didn’t slow their reading pace experienced significant declines in comprehension and recall (Leighton & Stiegler-Balfour, 2019).
A third study, conducted in collaboration with UNE’s Center for Excellence in Aging and Health, compared retention and comprehension in older (i.e., aged 65+) and younger adults when reading digitally versus in print (Newborough et al., 2023).
The results of these studies have yielded important insight into how people engage with information in the digital format, and this affects learning in educational environments.
- Identifying individual differences and barriers to comprehension:
On this topic, Dr. Stiegler-Balfour has examined the cognitive processes underlying reading comprehension, such as access to prior spatial information, predictive inferences, and how these processes are affected by text relevance or certainty (Smith et al., 2020; Cook et al., 2012; Blanc et al., 2011).She has also explored the barriers to comprehension, such as the effect of APA-style citations in textbooks and how guided questions can improve learning for less-skilled readers (Stiegler-Balfour et al., 2020; Stiegler-Balfour & Benassi, 2015).
A key aspect of reading research is the use of standardized tests. Despite their widespread use, there’s limited research on which tests best predict comprehension in narrative versus expository texts. To close the gap in the literature, Stiegler-Balfour et al. (under review) compared three tests—MMCB, NDRT, and GMRT—and found the GMRT to be the most versatile, the MMCB best for expository texts, and the NDRT more suited for narratives, highlighting the importance of aligning test selection with specific research objectives.
- Understanding the cognitive processes involved in reading comprehension:
Building on her earlier work on processing misinformation and making inferences (e.g., Blanc et al., 2011; Cook et al., 2012), Dr. Stiegler-Balfour has explored how readers monitor a protagonist’s motives, causal relations, temporal information, and whether they routinely track spatial details. A key challenge in studying spatial information monitoring, for example, is the lack of understanding of the cognitive processes involved. A study by Smith et al. (2020) proposed that cuing—explicitly referencing earlier text—could explain how and when spatial information is monitored. Across six experiments, the study examined conditions under which spatial details became accessible or reactivated, with findings interpreted through the RI-Val model.
Through this line of research, Dr. Stiegler-Balfour emphasizes opportunities for improving text comprehension by optimizing the reading environment and accounting for individual cognitive differences. Integrating theories from cognitive and educational psychology, her interdisciplinary approach is essential for understanding the core mechanisms of comprehension and developing practical strategies to address reading difficulties.
Since starting the RCC Lab in 2010, Dr. Stiegler-Balfour has had the pleasure of working with a number of exceptional students who have used their experience working in the lab to broaden their exposure to scientific research and better plan post-UNE career plans.
UNE students interested in employment or volunteer opportunities in the lab may email Dr. Stiegler-Balfour at jstiegler@une.edu for more information.
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