Assignment of pronoun reference: Evidence that young readers control cohesion

Abstract

Both experimental studies and studies using natural texts have been made to determineyoung readers' ability to comprehend anaphora, and especially pronoun reference. Many researchers conducting experimental studies have found that children have not yet developed control of reference. They have advocated direct instruction in anaphora to aid comprehension. However, researchers conducting research using Reading Miscue Analysis procedures, in which children read complete stories, have found that young readers do quite well with pronoun reference. Their findings suggest that direct instruction in anaphora is unwarranted. The present study, using miscue data from 24 second and 32 sixth graders,supports the latter view. These readers made few substitutions for pronouns while reading complete stories, and they frequently corrected their miscues. The study identifies five specific text features and two strategies readers use to infer pronoun reference. The data indicate that most miscues result from readers' overgeneralizing strategies, applying them at inappropriate points in texts. To refine their strategies for determining reference, readers need more opportunities to transact with various types of texts rather than direct instruction in the comprehension of anaphora.