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Impact of Physical Activity Modalities on Text Processing and Comprehension in Adolescents

Martinez-Flores, Ricardo; Julio, Cristobal; Ibanez, Romualdo; Campos-Rojas, Cesar; Jarpa, Marcela; Super, Hans; Tari, Benjamin; (2025) Impact of Physical Activity Modalities on Text Processing and Comprehension in Adolescents. The Journal of Experimental Education 10.1080/00220973.2025.2513244. (In press).

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Abstract

Understanding how physical activity influences text processing and comprehension is essential for education, yet this area remains underexplored. This study aimed to determine differences in text processing and comprehension according to physical activity modalities and to establish the mediating role of diverse text processing between physical activity modalities and text comprehension. In this double-masked crossover trial, 32 adolescents were randomly assigned to a Sedentary Condition (SC), Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT), or Cooperative High-Intensity Interval Training (C-HIIT), matched for energy expenditure. Eye tracking was used to assess pupil dilation as an indicator of cognitive load (CL), along with fixation duration and fixation count per word. Text comprehension was evaluated through seven questions targeting three levels: surface code, textual base, and situation model. Results showed that C-HIIT had lower CL and higher surface code scores than MICT and SC, as well as higher situation model scores than SC. MICT outperformed C-HIIT and SC in situation model scores, while SC had higher textual base scores than both exercise conditions. Mediation analysis revealed that CL played a significant role in linking physical activity modalities to surface code and situation model comprehension. These findings suggest that different physical activity modalities influence cognitive processing and comprehension in distinct ways.

Type: Article
Title: Impact of Physical Activity Modalities on Text Processing and Comprehension in Adolescents
DOI: 10.1080/00220973.2025.2513244
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2025.2513244
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
Keywords: Physical activity, text comprehension, cognitive load, pupil diameter, eye-tracking
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Surgery and Interventional Sci
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10211733
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