Effects of Assumed Audience on Reading and Representation of a Book Through Presentation

Abstract

This study clarifies the effects of differences in the assumed audience during a presentation on the reading of a book and its expression. The target classes were two first-year junior high school classes (n = 80) in which students exchanged information about the reading and appeal of books. Each class was assigned to one of the following conditions: 1) A “parent condition,” in which parents who did not share reading experiences were assumed to be the audiences. 2) A “classmate condition,” in which the assumed audience was classmates who shared reading experiences in class. The results of the between-condition comparison reveal that students in the parent condition searched and presented more information about the content of the book, while those in the classmate condition searched and presented more bibliographic information, and more students reported that their reading had changed through the class. These results indicate that the differences in the intended audience affect the rereading of books, search for appeal, and way of expression, and that changes in reading can be promoted by changing the intended audience.