SWAG视频 students present research at New England psychology conference

SWAG视频 students at the 59th annual New England Psychological Association conference in Manchester, New Hampshire
SWAG视频 students at the 59th annual New England Psychological Association conference in Manchester, New Hampshire

Reading Comprehension and Cognition (RCC) lab members Genna Companatico (Psychology, 鈥20), Nicole Martin (Psychology, 鈥21) and Aubrey Sahouria (Neuroscience, 鈥22) recently presented their research at the 59th annual New England Psychological Association (NEPA) conference at the Southern New Hampshire University campus in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Companatico presented research on reading performance across text types and predicting performance among different reading comprehension tests. The study is the first to show significant correlations among three different reading comprehension tests and provides insight on which tests are best suited to predict comprehension of narrative versus expository texts. The results provide additional evidence that reading comprehension skill can be significantly predicted from working memory capacity and metacomprehension skills.

Companatico conducted the research with alum Courtney Parent, B.A. 鈥19 (Psychology), and faculty mentor Jennifer Stiegler-Balfour, Ph.D., associate professor and Psychology program coordinator in the Department of Psychology.

鈥淢y experience at the NEPA conference was amazing,鈥 stated Companatico. 鈥淚 attended multiple interesting presentations, and I was able to see what students at other schools are studying. I enjoyed talking to students about my research and to representatives from other schools about their graduate programs.鈥

Martin and Sahouria presented research on the influence of typographical differences on reading performance when using e-readers. Results from the study indicate that sans-serif fonts facilitate better comprehension for reading on e-readers than serif fonts. While the study found people generally preferred reading with serif fonts, it did not indicate better performance. The findings suggest that sans-serif fonts may be optimal for reading on e-readers and that readers may not always know which settings are most beneficial for their comprehension.

The research was conducted with alum Ellie Leighton, B.A. 鈥18 (Psychology), and Stiegler-Balfour.

鈥淢y favorite part about the NEPA conference is that it is a close to home conference where we can learn so much about what it means to be professional,鈥 commented Martin.

Sahouria added, 鈥淏eing surrounded by so many other passionate undergraduate researchers kindled my own commitment to research. I was thrilled to be able to share our findings with other researchers.鈥

The NEPA conference was the first regional conference attended by research assistant Grace Bernatchez (Psychology, 鈥21).

"This was my first time attending NEPA, and it was awesome,鈥 she stated. 鈥淚t was great to see such diverse research first-hand, talk to people about their research, and listen to a range of different speakers.鈥

NEPA is dedicated to the advancement of psychology as a science, a profession, and a means of promoting human welfare.

Funding for students鈥 conference registration and travel was made possible by SWAG视频鈥檚 PSI CHI chapter.

 

 

Aubrey Sahouria and Nicole Martin presented their research on e-readers
Aubrey Sahouria and Nicole Martin presented their research on e-readers
Genna Companatico with her research poster
Genna Companatico with her research poster