Rate alterations in oral reading.

Abstract

The present investigation represented an attempt to evaluate perceptual alterations in reading rate employing a ratio scaling technique. The volunteer subjects of the study were 12 young adult undergraduate women with demonstrated normal speech and hearing. The mean age was 21 years one month. The subjects participated for a total of six hours over a period of ten days testing. In order to establish a standard reading rate for each subject the mean word per minute rate for 15 readings of a set passage was first determined. The one reading where the word per minute rate mostly closely approximated that mean was selected as subject Standard. One hundred and twenty reading samples were then obtained from each subject using the Standard stimulus. These samples represented an equal number of multiplications of the Standard (one-quarter and one-half faster) and an equal number of fractionations of the Standard (three-quarters, one-half and one-quarter of the Standard). The readings were analysed for total time and phonation time. From these measurements, word per minute rates and phonation time ratios were computed. Mean and variability and measures of the per cent absolute differences between Standards and Ratio Productions (multiplication and fractionation) were then determined. A single factor analysis of variance procedure for repeated measures was applied to the data. When significant F-ratios were obtained, further probing of data was accomplished using the Newman-Keuls test. The results indicated that there is a significant increase in word per minute rate for the range of ratio productions studied; that is, in going from the slowest to the fastest reading rate. It was noted, however, that in no case did the observed difference in reading rate equal the expected differences. A statistically significant difference was observed between the phonation time ratios for multiplications and fractionations; however, there were no significant differences within multiplications or within fractionations. The following conclusions are suggested: (1) Significant alterations occur in the reading output of subjects while making perceptual judgements of their oral reading rate. In faster than normal alterations less perceptual change in rate is necessary than in comparable slower than normal alterations. (2) No significant changes in phonation time ratio are associated with changes within the levels of multiplication or fractionation although a significant change is observed between multiplication and fractionation suggesting that within limits phonation time ratio may not reflect extreme alterations in reading rate.