Abstract:   The irrelevant speech effect (ISE) refers to the interferential performance in visual cognitive task when the background speech is presented at the same time. In the present paper, we first introduced two main theoretical accounts of the mechanism underlying ISE in reading: interference-by-content hypothesis and interference-by-process hypothesis. Then extant studies of ISE in reading were summarized and discussed over these two opposite hypotheses. Lastly, we proposed several issues which are worth to be focused in the future studies: a) what and how the relevant factors impact on ISE; b) the cognitive stages concerning ISE during reading; c) the application of new technologies including brain imaging technology and eye-tracking technology into studies of ISE in reading.

Key words: irrelevant speech effect, reading, mechanism accounts, influencing factors