Associations between Reading Comprehension, Print Exposure, Executive Functions and Academic Achievement in Argentinean University Students"

TABULLO, ÁNGEL; PITHOD, MANUEL; MORENO, BEATRIZ CECILIA

Revista de Neuropsicología, Neuropsiquiatría y Neurociencias

Asociación Latinoamericana de Neuropsicología ?ALAN

Año: 2020 vol. 20

0124-1265

Reading comprehension is a complex cognitive ability of crucial importance for academic achievement across all education levels. It has been shown to rely on specific linguistic abilities, like reading fluency and vocabulary, and cognitive processes such as executive functions. In addition, it has been observed that reading comprehension improves with reading frequency and the amount of lifelong exposure to texts. However, the contribution of these variables has seldom been examined simultaneously, particularly in Spanish speaking populations. The present study aimed to analyze the relationship between reading comprehension, reading habits and cognitive functioning, and their influence on academic achievement in Argentinean university students. Reading comprehension performance was the main predictor of academic success, and its main predictors were fiction exposure and an earlier beginning of leisure reading. Furthermore, vocabulary and phonological fluency (which evaluates executive functioning applied to verbal information recall) were significantly associated to reading comprehension. These results highlight the importance of reading comprehension for academic achievement at the university and show the potential of leisure reading to improve it.