Reading Comprehension, Personality,
Perception, and Learning Styles

Reading Comprehension is but one aspect of overall comprehension ability. Perception, Personality and Learning Styles are key factors as well.

So what is comprehension? The American Heritage dictionary defines comprehension as: ”the act or fact of grasping the meaning, nature, or importance of; understanding." Refining on this idea, RLDE defines comprehension as: "the inherent and acquired facility to make meaning out of perceived phenomena."

This subtle distinction is made here because important psychological filtering mechanisms are in place that limit our ability to make meaning out of events.

These  key  filters  include: perception, personality and learning styles.

RLDE focuses on these particular filters because they are well-studied by psychologists; there is good information available to understand these individual traits. There are also valid and reliable assessment tools for use to help individuals understand personal aspects of these characteristics as well as the ability to read -- very important in an online learning environment.

Many cognitive scientists focus on reading  because of the critical link between language and understanding complex abstract concepts. This is certainly important, but it is encompassing to know how our personal filtering systems limit or enhance overall comprehension.

Many of these limitation are necessary, such as filtering out sounds in a crowded room while having an important conversation. Unfortunately, our filters can also inhibit comprehension, such as when we have a personality conflict with someone at work. It is important to know why we have such conflicts to enable us to learn and communicate more effectively.

Below are links to specific information about reading comprehension and the key filters. Note that most tests on each of these contributing factors to overall comprehension are self-assessment based. That makes them fun and easy to test and score, but the results are subject to personal biases of the test taker. RLDE recommends an interview with a specialist to help confirm assessment results.

Personality Filters

Perceptual Filters

Learning Style Filters

Reading Comprehension Test