Dr. Stiegler-Balfour’s 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 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 the RCC Lab’s research program, we focus our efforts on 3 specific areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another study presented at the Council of Undergraduate Research\u2019s Posters on the Hill<\/em> 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\u2019t slow their reading pace experienced significant declines in comprehension and recall (Leighton & Stiegler-Balfour, 2019). Through collaboration with UNE\u2019s 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2014MMCB, NDRT, and GMRT\u2014and 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This area 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\u2019s 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\u2014explicitly referencing earlier text\u2014could 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you would like to learn more about my research program, please reach out to me at jstielger@une.edu<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Publications:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong>, 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.<\/em> Advance online publication. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/stl0000391<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stiegler-Balfour, J.J.<\/strong>, 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<\/em>, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.ijhcs.2023.103036 <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Smith, E.R., Stiegler-Balfour, J.J.,<\/strong> Williams, C.R., Walsh, E.K., & O’Brien, E.J. (2020). Access to prior spatial information. Memory & Cognition,<\/em> 48<\/em>(7), 1234-1248. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3758\/s13421-019-00996-4<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong>, 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<\/em>(2), 147-155. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0098628320901384<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stiegler-Balfour, J.J.<\/strong> & 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<\/em>(4), 312-325. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/stl0000044<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong> (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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Troisi, J.D., Leder-Elder, S., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong>, Fleck, B.K.B., Good, J.J. (2015). Effective teaching outcomes associated with the mentorship of early career psychologists. Teaching of Psychology, 42<\/em>(3), 242-247. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0098628315587623<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Troisi, J. D., Leder-Elder, S., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong>, 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<\/em>(3), 17-22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong>, Benassi, V. A., Tatsak, H., Taatjes, A. (2014). The influence of guiding questions on skilled- and less-skilled readers\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benassi, V. A., Tappin, E. M., Overson, C. E., Lee, M. J., O\u2019Brien, E. J., White, B. P., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong>, & 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong> (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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong> (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 \u2013 what\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Afful, S. E., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong>, 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 \u2013 what\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeley, J., Afful, S. E., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong>, 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 \u2013 what\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong> (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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong> (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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good, J. J., Keeley, J., Leder, S., Afful, S., & Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong> (2013). Supporting our junior faculty: Assessing the concerns and needs of early career faculty. Teaching of Psychology, 40<\/em>(4), 340-345. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0098628313501048<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong>, & 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cook, A. E., Lassonde, K. A., Splinter, A., Gu\u00e9raud, S., Stiegler-Balfour, J. J.<\/strong> & O\u2019Brien, E. J. (2012). The role of relevance in the activation and instantiation of predictive inferences. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 29<\/em>(2), 244-257. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/01690965.2012.748926<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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