My research centers on exploring fundamental and applied questions in human cognition, with a primary focus on better understanding cognition and learning process in the context of reading comprehension. Understanding the different factors that influence the processing and recall of written information is – I believe – vital to optimizing learning experiences within the classroom as well as our ability to successfully navigate our professional careers and everyday life scenarios. As part of my research program, I focus my efforts on 3 specific tracts:
- The impact of new technologies on reading comprehension
This area of research explores how technology (e.g., tablets and e-readers) can impact reading comprehension, specifically whether digital reading and audiobooks can be viable alternatives to print. Through this tract, for example, one study found that college-aged readers with lower comprehension skills struggled more with digital reading compared to print, while higher-skilled readers performed equally but less efficiently on digital devices (Stiegler-Balfour et al., 2023).
Another study presented at the Council of Undergraduate Research’s Posters on the Hill in Washington, D.C., for members of Congress, examined differences in reading for leisure versus learning on e-readers, finding that while narrative text was easily read, expository text required more time. Participants who didn’t slow their reading pace experienced significant declines in comprehension and recall (Leighton & Stiegler-Balfour, 2019). Through collaboration with UNE’s Center for Excellence in Aging and Health, a third study compared retention and comprehension in older and younger adults when reading digitally versus in print (Newborough et al., 2023).
Initiatives currently in progress related to this tract include examining how audiobooks and other technologies affect learning and how the digital reading experience can be enhanced for all users.
- Individual Differences and barriers to comprehension:
The study of 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). A related line of research examined 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, but 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.
- Cognitive processes involved in reading comprehension
This tract focuses on understanding the cognitive processes behind reading comprehension. Building on my earlier work on processing misinformation and making inferences (e.g., Blanc et al., 2011; Cook et al., 2012), I 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 is the lack of understanding of the cognitive processes involved. 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.
If you would like to learn more about my research program, please reach out to me at jstielger@une.edu.
Publications:
Stiegler-Balfour, J. J., Martin, N. T., & Sahouria, A. M. (2024). Does the talking head matter? The mediating effect of social connectedness and cognitive load on remote learning during a global pandemic. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000391
Stiegler-Balfour, J.J., Roberts, Z.S., LaChance, A.S., Sahouria, A.M., & Newborough, E.D. (2023). Is reading under print and digital conditions really equivalent? Differences in reading and recall of expository text for higher and lower ability comprehenders. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 176, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2023.103036
Smith, E.R., Stiegler-Balfour, J.J., Williams, C.R., Walsh, E.K., & O’Brien, E.J. (2020). Access to prior spatial information. Memory & Cognition, 48(7), 1234-1248. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-019-00996-4
Stiegler-Balfour, J. J., Jakobsen, K. V., Stroud, M. J., & Daniel, D. B. (2020). APA-style citations can create a roadblock to textbook comprehension for less-skilled readers. Teaching of Psychology, 47(2), 147-155. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628320901384
Stiegler-Balfour, J.J. & Benassi, V. A. (2015). Guiding questions promote learning of expository text for less-skilled readers. Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 1(4), 312-325. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000044
Stiegler-Balfour, J. J. (2015). Teaching online courses in psychology. In D. Dunn (Ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Undergraduate Psychology Education (pp. 275-285). Oxford University Press, NY: NY.
Troisi, J.D., Leder-Elder, S., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J., Fleck, B.K.B., Good, J.J. (2015). Effective teaching outcomes associated with the mentorship of early career psychologists. Teaching of Psychology, 42(3), 242-247. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628315587623
Troisi, J. D., Leder-Elder, S., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J., Fleck, B. K. B., Good, J. J. (2015). Not all types of mentors are created equal: Comparing the effectiveness of intra-departmental, intra-university, and self-selected mentors. The Journal of Faculty Development, 29(3), 17-22.
Stiegler-Balfour, J. J., Benassi, V. A., Tatsak, H., Taatjes, A. (2014). The influence of guiding questions on skilled- and less-skilled readers’ understanding of written discourse. In V. A. Benassi, C. E Overson, & C. M. Hakala (Eds.), Applying the science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum (pp. 293-298). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/asle2014/index.php. ISBN: 978-1-941804-29-2.
Benassi, V. A., Tappin, E. M., Overson, C. E., Lee, M. J., O’Brien, E. J., White, B. P., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J., & Hakala, C. M. (2014). Applying the science of learning: The cognitive toolbox. In V. A. Benassi, C. E Overson, & C. M. Hakala (Eds.), Applying the science of learning education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum (pp. 194-205). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/asle2014/index.php. ISBN: 978-1-941804-29-2.
Stiegler-Balfour, J. J. (2014). Turning your foundation into a launching pad. In J. Busler, B. Beins, & W. Buskist (Eds.), Preparing the new professoriate: Helping graduate students to become competent teachers, 2nd ed (pp. 220-225). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/page-1862898. ISBN: 978-1-941804-33-9.
Stiegler-Balfour, J. J. (2013). Maximize student- and peer evaluations: Leveraging feedback to become a more effective teacher and improve student learning. In J. Keeley, S. E. Afful, J. J. Stiegler-Balfour, J. J. Good, & S. Leder (Eds.), So you landed a job – what’s next? Advice for early career psychologists from early career psychologists (pp. 14-26). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/ecp2013/index.php. ISBN:978-1-941804-26-1.
Afful, S. E., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J., Good, J. J., Leder, S., & Keeley, J. (2013). Realistic expectations for your first few years. In J. Keeley, S. E. Afful, J. J. Stiegler-Balfour, J. J. Good, & S. Leder (Eds.), So you landed a job – what’s next? Advice for early career psychologists from early career psychologists (pp. 128-131). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/ecp2013/index.php. ISBN: 978-1 941804-26-1.
Keeley, J., Afful, S. E., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J., Good, J. J., & Leder, S. (2013). Introduction: A field guide to this book. In J. Keeley, S. E. Afful, J. J.Stiegler- Balfour, J. J. Good, & S. Leder (Eds.), So you landed a job – what’s next? Advice for early career psychologists from early career psychologists (pp. 1-4). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/ecp2013/index.php. ISBN: 978-1-941804-26-1.
Stiegler-Balfour, J. J. (2013). Consciousness. In S. E. Afful, J. J. Good, J. Keeley, S. Leder, & J. J. Stiegler-Balfour (Eds.), Introductory psychology teaching primer: A guide for new teachers of psych 101 (pp. 37-41). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/intro2013/index.php. ISBN: 978-1-941804-27-8.
Stiegler-Balfour, J. J. (2013). Memory. In S. E. Afful, J. J. Good, J. Keeley, S. Leder, & J. J. Stiegler-Balfour (Eds.), Introductory psychology teaching primer: A guide for new teachers of psych 101 (pp. 26-30). Retrieved from Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/intro2013/index.php. ISBN: 978-1-941804-27-8.
Good, J. J., Keeley, J., Leder, S., Afful, S., & Stiegler-Balfour, J. J. (2013). Supporting our junior faculty: Assessing the concerns and needs of early career faculty. Teaching of Psychology, 40(4), 340-345. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628313501048
Stiegler-Balfour, J. J., & Overson, C. E. (2012). Useful resources for preparing the new professoriate. In W. Buskist, & Benassi, V. A (Eds.), Effective college and university teaching: Strategies and tactics for the new professoriate (pp. 207-217). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN: 978-1-4129-9607-5.
Cook, A. E., Lassonde, K. A., Splinter, A., Guéraud, S., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J. & O’Brien, E. J. (2012). The role of relevance in the activation and instantiation of predictive inferences. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 29(2), 244-257. https://doi.org/10.1080/01690965.2012.748926
Blanc, N., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J., & O’Brien, E. J. (2011). Does the certainty of information influence the updating process? Evidence from the reading of news articles. Discourse Processes, 48(6) 387-403. https://doi.org/10.1080/0163853X.2011.552844
Funded Grants
Fund for Teaching and Public Understanding of Psychological Science ($1,000), Association for Psychological Sciences, “Learning during a global pandemic: The effects of cognitive load and social exhaustion on learning,” 2020.
Center for Excellence in Aging and Health ($9,950), University of New England, “The use of digital text and print in older and younger adults,” 2019-2020.
Center for the Enrichment of Teaching and Learning ($1,570), University of New England, “Flipping problem-based learning on its head: Creating more dynamic learning experiences through the inverted classroom model,” 2016-2017.
Center for the Enrichment of Teaching and Learning ($2,113), University of New England, “Using an inverted classroom approach to support problem-based learning in a research methods course,” Spring 2016.
College of Arts and Sciences Scholarly Research Mini-Grant ($3,000), University of New England, “Reading Comprehension and Alzheimer’s Disease: Understanding the effects of related and unrelated text distracters” (Co-PI: Regula H. Robnett), 2012-2013.
College of Arts and Sciences Scholarly Research Mini-Grant ($3,000), University of New England, “Learning from text: Effects of reading skill and text factors,” 2011-2012.
Partnership Grant ($2,000), Society for the Teaching of Psychology (Division 2, American Psychological Association), “Applying the science of learning in face-to-face and online psychology courses” (Co-PI: Victor A. Benassi), 2011-2012.
Master Teacher Program Award ($1,000), Society for the Teaching of Psychology (Division 2, American Psychological Association), “Applying the science of learning in face-to-face and online psychology courses,” 2012.