Below is a brief summary of a few of the theories that explain how readers comprehend texts. Schema Theory
according to schema theory, text alone does not carry meaning. It is when readers bring their prior knowledge and past experiences to a text that they begin to understand the meaning (Bartlett, 1932, as cited in An, 2013; Gunning, 1996, as cited in Casper, Catton, & Westfall, 1998).
Mental-model Theory
the reader creates a picture or movie in their head based on what they are reading.
focus is predominantly on the main character, and the mental-model is continually refined to reflect the changing circumstances (Gunning, 1996, as cited in Casper, Catton, & Westfall, 1998).
Proposition Theory
the reader constructs the main idea as they read through the text.
the ideas present in the text are organised hierarchically, with the most important things being prioritised and committed to memory (Gunning, 1996, as cited in Casper, Catton, & Westfall, 1998).
Reader-Response Theory
this theory or criticism emerged in the 1970's, challenging the idea that the author solely creates the meaning of a text.
as a reader engages with a text, it is then that the text is given some meaning in the mind of the reader.
although interpretations of a text may be similar, this theory suggests that their is potential for the interpretations to also be slightly different (Delahoyde, n.d.).