Ink and pixels: Impact of highlighting and reading self-efficacy on adolescents' cognitive load, epistemic emotions, and text comprehension

This study investigated the impact of reading texts on paper versus on screen on lower-secondary school students' perception of cognitive load, epistemic emotions, and text comprehension, while considering contextual and individual factors, that is, the strategy of highlighting and the motivational variable of reading self-efficacy. In a mixed-design experiment, 191 seventh graders read two informational texts, one in print and the other on screen. Half of the participants only read the texts, while the other half highlighted them to support comprehension. Students self-reported their perception of cognitive load and epistemic emotions immediately after reading. Text comprehension was assessed using literal and inferential multiple-choice questions. The study also examined whether the supportive role of self-efficacy varied across reading media. Findings suggest that adolescents' digital reading reduced cognitive load without affecting their text comprehension. However, limited benefits of highlighting and reading self-efficacy emerged in digital reading.