scholarly journals Does Use of Text-to-Speech and Related Read-Aloud Tools Improve Reading Comprehension for Students With Reading Disabilities? A Meta-Analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah G. Wood ◽  
Jerad H. Moxley ◽  
Elizabeth L. Tighe ◽  
Richard K. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Speech Technology ◽  
Random Effects Models ◽  
Written Text ◽  
Moderating Variables ◽  
Weighted Effect Size

Text-to-speech and related read-aloud tools are being widely implemented in an attempt to assist students’ reading comprehension skills. Read-aloud software, including text-to-speech, is used to translate written text into spoken text, enabling one to listen to written text while reading along. It is not clear how effective text-to-speech is at improving reading comprehension. This study addresses this gap in the research by conducting a meta-analysis on the effects of text-to-speech technology and related read-aloud tools on reading comprehension for students with reading difficulties. Random effects models yielded an average weighted effect size of ([Formula: see text] = .35, with a 95% confidence interval of .14 to .56, p < .01). Moderator effects of study design were found to explain some of the variance. Taken together, this suggests that text-to-speech technologies may assist students with reading comprehension. However, more studies are needed to further explore the moderating variables of text-to-speech and read-aloud tools’ effectiveness for improving reading comprehension. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Do You Get the Picture? A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Graphics on Reading Comprehension

AERA Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 233285842090169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daibao Guo ◽  
Shuai Zhang ◽  
Katherine Landau Wright ◽  
Erin M. McTigue
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Text Comprehension ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Flow Diagrams ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Mixed Format

Although convergent research demonstrates that well-designed graphics can facilitate readers’ understanding of text, there are select situations where graphics have been shown to have no effect on learners’ overall text comprehension. Therefore, the current meta-analytic study examined 39 experimental studies published between 1985 and 2018 measuring graphics’ effects on readers’ comprehension. We first quantified the overall effect on reading comprehension. Then, we considered interactions with learners’ characteristics, graphic types, and assessment formats. Our analysis revealed that the inclusion of graphics had a moderate overall positive effect (Hedges’s g = 0.39) on students’ reading comprehension, regardless of grade level. Regarding graphic type, we did not find a significant difference among pictures, pictorial diagrams, and flow diagrams. Only when compared to mixed graphics, pictures had a greater effect on comprehension. Additionally, compared with true and false assessments, graphics differentially benefited students’ comprehension on open-ended comprehension assessments and mixed format assessments. Implications for future research are presented.

scholarly journals Childhood Maltreatment and Violent Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 754-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Fitton ◽  
Rongqin Yu ◽  
Seena Fazel
Keyword(s):  
Prospective Studies ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
English Language ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Random Effects Models ◽  
Unpublished Studies ◽  
Analytic Review ◽  
Meta Regression

The risk of violence following childhood maltreatment is uncertain. This meta-analytic review identified prospective studies that have examined this association. We systematically searched three electronic databases (PsycINFO, EMBASE, and MEDLINE) and completed a targeted search on Google Scholar. These were supplemented with scanning reference lists and correspondence with authors. We considered non-English-language and unpublished studies. Studies were included if childhood maltreatment was measured before age 18 years and occurred before violent outcomes. We identified 18 eligible studies with data on 39,271 participants. We conducted meta-analysis to calculate odds ratios ( ORs) using random-effects models. Heterogeneity was explored through subgroup analyses and meta-regression. The overall OR of violent outcomes in childhood maltreatment was 1.8 (95% confidence interval [1.4, 2.3]) with substantial heterogeneity ( I2 = 92%). Meta-regression suggested that risk of violence following childhood maltreatment was more elevated in samples with higher percentage of females, in higher quality investigations, in studies with case-linkage methods compared to that followed-up participants over time using a prospective cohort design, when general population or matched controls were used rather than selected population controls, and when violent outcomes were ascertained in older individuals. In conclusion, the risk of later violence perpetration was modestly increased in individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment. Preventative strategies and interventions for childhood maltreatment may have an important role in violence reduction. Methodological issues and recommendations for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Laboratory aggression and personality traits: A meta-analytic review

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtland Hyatt ◽  
Amos Zeichner ◽  
Josh Miller
Keyword(s):  
Big Five ◽  
Precise Measurement ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Random Effects Models ◽  
Methodological Rigor ◽  
Analytic Review

Among operationalizations of aggression, laboratory paradigms are unique in that they permit precise measurement of aggression while controlling for many possible confounds (e.g., levels of provocation). In the current undertaking, we conducted a meta-analysis of the relations between laboratory aggression and trait-based personality constructs thought to be among the most robust and consistent predictors of lab aggression, including traits from the predominant model of general personality (Big Five/Five Factor Model [FFM]), as well as personality disorder constructs including psychopathy, narcissism, and sadism. Our search yielded 54 usable studies containing 123 effect sizes. Random-effects models suggest that psychopathy, narcissism, sadism, and low FFM Agreeableness are significant predictors of laboratory aggression with small to moderate effect sizes. Impulsivity and FFM Openness also showed significant relations, though they were smaller in magnitude. Thus, traits related to aggression outside of the laboratory also appear to be related to aggression in the laboratory. Suggestions are made for future research in this area, including an emphasis on causal mechanisms and methodological rigor.

Implementing Text-to-Speech Technology as a Means of Enhancing L2 Reading Fluency

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-73
Author(s):  
Jeisson Alonso Rodriguez Bonces
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Oral Reading ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Speech Technology ◽  
L2 Reading

This article reports on the results of a participatory action research project carried out with a group of ten elementary level students from extension courses in a private university in Bogotá, Colombia (Universidad Minuto de Dios, main branch). The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of text-to-speech (TTS) technology usage on reading fluency in speakers of English as a foreign language. The results show that learners develop oral reading fluency in areas such as linking sounds, pronouncing accurately, and reading timing. Furthermore, learners raised their awareness of the benefits of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the process of learning a foreign language, as well as the importance of being autonomous learners. Pedagogical implications and prospects for future research are included.

#3118 Tic-severity moderators: a systematic review on the subjectivity of external and internal factors in moderating tic-severity in Tourette’s syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 92 (8) ◽  
pp. A10.2-A11
Author(s):  
Francesca Conti ◽  
Himanshu Tyagi
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Subjective Effects ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Moderating Variables ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
Tic Severity ◽  
Neutral Effect

ObjectivesChanges in the severity of tics in Tourettes syndrome (TS), as seen with variations in the intensity or frequency of tics, can be moderated by a variety of independent simple or complex factors suchasexternalorinternalstimulioverlaidwithpsychologicalandphysiological variables. Identifying such moderators has important clinical implications as it can aid clinicians in adjusting interventions. Here we review research literature related to tic-severity moderators and their tic-worsening, tic-improving and neutral effects in individuals with TS with the aim to create a clinical inventory of moderating variables.MethodsA literature search using terms relating to tic severity, tic frequency, factors and moderators was conducted on Ovid Medline, Psych Info, APA Psych Articles, ProQuest,Scopus and PubMed following PRISMA guidelines. The criteria for this review included any published study, review and meta-analysis after the last review in 2008, investigating external and internal factors that had a tic-worsening, improving or neutral effect on children, adolescents or adults with TS and comorbidities.Results225 studies were initially identified after deduplication. A variety of tic severity moderators were identified with the most prominent being the effects of exe, sleep, distraction and comorbidities such as ADHD. However, an interesting finding was the high variability in these tic-moderating effects, as the same factor was tic-worsening in some patients and tic-improving in others, highlighting the subjectivity of these effects on tic severity. It was also noted that most of there viewed research did not report the possibility of a neutral effect.ConclusionsAs previous research has looked at these moderators in a dichotomous way, clinicians and researchers should be made more aware of the existence and variability of these tic severity moderators and of their highly subjective effects. This also has important, direct implications for the psychological assessment and treatment of tics. This review invites future research and clinicians to take this holistic approach on the effects ontic severity into consideration.

Reading Comprehension and Processing Time When People With Aphasia Use Text-to-Speech Technology With Personalized Supports and Features

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Kelly Knollman-Porter ◽  
Jessica A. Brown ◽  
Karen Hux ◽  
Sarah E. Wallace ◽  
Allison Crittenden
Keyword(s):  
Processing Time ◽  
Reading Speed ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Speech Technology ◽  
Written Text ◽  
Reading Support ◽  
Reading Efficiency ◽  
Initial Support ◽  
Initial Settings ◽  
Reading Activities

Background: Person-centered approaches promote consistent use of supportive technology and feelings of empowerment for people with disabilities. Feature personalization is an aspect of person-centered approaches that can affect the benefit people with aphasia (PWA) derive from using text-to-speech (TTS) technology as a reading support. Aims: This study's primary purpose was to compare the comprehension and processing time of PWA when performing TTS-supported reading with preferred settings for voice, speech output rate, highlighting type, and highlighting color versus unsupported reading. A secondary aim was to examine initial support and feature preference selections, preference changes following TTS exposure, and anticipated functional reading activities for utilizing TTS technology. Method and Procedure: Twenty PWA read passages either via written text or text combined with TTS output using personally selected supports and features. Participants answered comprehension questions, reevaluated their preference selections, and provided feedback both about feature selections and possible future TTS technology uses. Outcomes and Results: Comprehension accuracy did not vary significantly between reading conditions; however, processing time was significantly less in the TTS-supported condition, thus suggesting TTS support promoted greater reading speed without compromising comprehension. Most participants preferred the TTS condition and several anticipated benefits when reading lengthy and difficult materials. Alterations to initial settings were relatively rare. Conclusions: Personalizing TTS systems is relevant to person-centered interventions. Reading with desired TTS system supports and features promotes improved reading efficiency by PWA compared with reading without TTS support. Attending to client preferences is important when customizing and implementing TTS technology as a reading support.

scholarly journals Multidimensional Perfectionism and Burnout: A Meta-Analysis

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Curran
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Or Education ◽  
Random Effects Models ◽  
Significant Relationships ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Negative Relationships ◽  
Work Domain

A meta-analysis of research examining the relationships between multidimensional perfectionism and burnout is provided. In doing so, relationships before and after controlling for the relationship between dimensions of perfectionism were examined along with whether relationships were moderated by domain (work, sport, or education). A literature search yielded 43 studies (N = 9,838) and 663 effect sizes. Meta-analysis using random-effects models revealed that perfectionistic strivings had small negative or non-significant relationships with overall burnout and symptoms of burnout. By contrast, perfectionistic concerns displayed medium-to-large and medium positive relationships with overall burnout and symptoms of burnout. After controlling for the relationship between dimensions of perfectionism, "pure" perfectionistic strivings displayed notably larger negative relationships. In terms of moderation, in some cases, perfectionistic strivings were less adaptive and perfectionistic concerns more maladaptive in the work domain. Future research should examine explanatory mechanisms, adopt longitudinal designs, and develop interventions to reduce perfectionistic concerns fueled burnout.

scholarly journals Morbid exercise behaviour and eating disorders: A meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-224
Author(s):  
Manuel Alcaraz-Ibáñez ◽  
Adrian Paterna ◽  
Álvaro Sicilia ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Dietary Restraint ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Random Effects Models ◽  
Exercise Behaviour ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractBackground and aimsThis study examined the relationship between self-reported symptoms of morbid exercise behaviour (MEB) and eating disorders (ED) using meta-analytic techniques.MethodsWe systematically searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, SciELO and Scopus. Random effects models were used to compute pooled effect sizes estimates (r). The robustness of the summarized estimates was examined through sensitivity analyses by removing studies one at a time.ResultsSixty-six studies comprising 135 effect-sizes (N = 21,816) were included. The results revealed: (a) small-sized relationship in the case of bulimic symptoms (r = 0.19), (b) small- (r = 0.28) to medium-sized relationships (r = 0.41) in the case of body/eating concerns, and (c) medium-sized relationships in the case of overall ED symptoms (r = 0.35) and dietary restraint (r = 0.42). Larger effect sizes were observed in the case of overall ED symptoms in clinical, younger, and thinner populations, as well as when employing a continuously-scored instrument for assessing ED or the Compulsive Exercise Test for assessing MEB. Larger effect sizes were also found in female samples when the ED outcome was dietary restraint.ConclusionsThe identified gaps in the literature suggest that future research on the topic may benefit from: (a) considering a range of clinical (in terms of diagnosed ED) and non-clinical populations from diverse exercise modalities, (b) addressing a wide range of ED symptomatology, and (c) employing longitudinal designs that clarify the temporal direction of the relationship under consideration.

scholarly journals Levels of Reading Comprehension in Higher Education: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina de-la-Peña ◽  
María Jesús Luque-Rojas
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
University Students ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Future Research

Higher education aims for university students to produce knowledge from the critical reflection of scientific texts. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a deep mental representation of written information. The objective of this research was to determine through a systematic review and meta-analysis the proportion of university students who have an optimal performance at each level of reading comprehension. Systematic review of empirical studies has been limited from 2010 to March 2021 using the Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, and PsycINFO databases. Two reviewers performed data extraction independently. A random-effects model of proportions was used for the meta-analysis and heterogeneity was assessed with I2. To analyze the influence of moderating variables, meta-regression was used and two ways were used to study publication bias. Seven articles were identified with a total sample of the seven of 1,044. The proportion of students at the literal level was 56% (95% CI = 39–72%, I2 = 96.3%), inferential level 33% (95% CI = 19–46%, I2 = 95.2%), critical level 22% (95% CI = 9–35%, I2 = 99.04%), and organizational level 22% (95% CI = 6–37%, I2 = 99.67%). Comparing reading comprehension levels, there is a significant higher proportion of university students who have an optimal level of literal compared to the rest of the reading comprehension levels. The results have to be interpreted with caution but are a guide for future research.

scholarly journals Effect of digital highlighting on reading comprehension given text-to-speech technology for people with aphasia

Aphasiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Jessica A. Brown ◽  
Kelly Knollman-Porter ◽  
Karen Hux ◽  
Sarah E. Wallace ◽  
Camille Deville
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Speech Technology
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