As with memory for other kinds of verbal material, memory for prose is a complex function of various factors. Some of the more important factors include 1. the kind of reading or studying activity in which the learner engages while processing a text; 2. the particular type of prose that is being remembered; 3. the kinds of information and events that intervene between the initial reading of the text and when remembering is attempted; and 4. the way in which memory is assessed (e.g., through recall, short-answer, multiple-choice, or true/false tests; see Figure 1). For clarity of presentation, this entry considers each of these factors separately. In reality, however, each of these factors does not operate in isolation; instead, they work together to influence memory for prose.

Influences of Encoding and Reading Processes

One of the dominant themes in contemporary memory research is that memory benefits to the extent...