I remember thinking long and hard about these results and what they implied
for me, a teacher of writing, and wondering if the same kind of descriptive
process couldn't be applied to writers somehow--but not nec. based on
protocols only, but looking at the process of writers who, like the
"experienced" readers took into consideration rhetorical situation,
context, etc. as well as those who wrote without doing so as much (at least
initially). Also, we need to look at writers from a variety of
angles--and, perhaps, in a variety of media (email, paper, moo,
conversation, etc.). Finally, we don't want to generalize to the point of
forcing one process on them after we've gained our multi-layered insights,
but rather think about how we might use those results to consider different
ways to approach the business(es) of teaching writing.
I applaud Barry for bringing personality type into this, but I think it
goes BEYOND that.....including context, biology, past experience, sex-role
affiliation, etc.....so I'd say yes, let's look at those sources, but let's
not stop there.
There's my quick two cents in between student conferences! (summer? WHAT
summer?)
--Becky