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Predictors of literacy in adulthood: Evidence from 33 countries
[journal article]
Abstract What makes a literate person? What leads to literacy gains and losses within and between individuals and countries? This paper provides new evidence that helps answer these questions. The present comparative analysis of literacy is based on large representative samples from the Survey of Adult Skill... view more
What makes a literate person? What leads to literacy gains and losses within and between individuals and countries? This paper provides new evidence that helps answer these questions. The present comparative analysis of literacy is based on large representative samples from the Survey of Adult Skills conducted in 33 countries, with 25-65 year old participants. We provide, for the first time, estimates of relative importance for a comprehensive set of experiential factors, motivations, incentives, parental influence, demands of workplace, and other predictors of influence. We sketch a configuration of factors that predicts an "ideal" reader, i.e., the optimal literacy performance. Moreover, we discover a pivotal role of the age effect in predicting variability between countries. Countries with the highest literacy scores are the ones where literacy decreases with age the most strongly. We discuss this finding against current accounts of aging effects, cohort effects and others. Finally, we provide methodological recommendations for experimental studies of aging in cognitive tasks like reading.... view less
Keywords
literacy; adulthood; experience; motivation; influence; reading; reading behavior; competence
Classification
Gerontology
Sociology of Education
Free Keywords
PIAAC
Document language
English
Publication Year
2021
Page/Pages
p. 1-14
Journal
PLOS ONE, 16 (2021) 3
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243763
ISSN
1932-6203
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed