Marsden, Emma Josephine orcid.org/0000-0003-4086-5765, Thompson, Sophie and Plonsky, Luke (2018) A Methodological Synthesis of Self-Paced Reading in Second Language Research:Methodological synthesis of SPR tests. Applied Psycholinguistics. 861–904. ISSN 1469-1817
Abstract
Self-paced reading tests (SPRs) are being increasingly adopted by second language (L2) researchers. Using SPR with L2 populations presents specific challenges, and its use is still evolving in L2 research (as well as in first language research, in many respects). Although the topic of several narrative overviews (Keating & Jegerski, 2015; Roberts, 2016), we do not have a comprehensive picture of its usage in L2 research. Building on the growing body of systematic reviews of research practices in applied linguistics (e.g., Liu & Brown, 2015; Plonsky, 2013), we report a methodological synthesis of the rationales, study contexts, and methodological decision making in L2 SPR research. Our comprehensive search yielded 74 SPRs used in L2 research. Each instrument was coded along 121 parameters, including: reported rationales and study characteristics, indicating the scope and nature of L2 SPR research agendas; design and analysis features and reporting practices, determining instrument validity and reliability; and materials transparency, affecting reproducibility and systematicity of agendas. Our findings indicate an urgent need to standardize the use and reporting of this technique, requiring empirical investigation to inform methodological decision making. We also identify several areas (e.g., study design, sample demographics, instrument construction, data analysis, and transparency) where SPR research could be improved to enrich our understanding of L2 processing, reading, and learning.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © Cambridge University Press 2018. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details |
Keywords: | foreign language learning,moving window,open science,research design,research methodology,second language learning,self-paced reading,synthesis,systematic review |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Education (York) The University of York > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (York) > Language and Linguistic Science (York) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (ESRC) ES/I015647/1 |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 20 Dec 2017 15:20 |
Last Modified: | 28 Mar 2025 00:07 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716418000036 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/S0142716418000036 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:125457 |
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Filename: Marsden_et_al_2018_App_Pscyh_IN_PRINT_methodological_synthesis_of_SPR_in_L2_Research.pdf
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Filename: Appendix_A_Coding_scheme_with_agreement_rates.pdf
Description: Appendix_A_Coding_scheme_with_agreement_rates
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