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What is minimal about predictive inferences?
M A McDaniel1, F Schmalhofer, D E Keefe
1Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque 87131-1161, USA. mcdaniel@unm.edu
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|February 19, 2002
Summary
Readers make predictive inferences about events during reading, but these inferences are minimally represented. Focusing on the situation level, not just the text level, is key for understanding these predictive inferences.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psycholinguistics
- Reading Comprehension
Background:
- Pronunciation of probe words related to predictable events is usually faster when probes immediately follow target sentences.
- This facilitation diminishes when the probe is delayed, suggesting minimal inference generation during standard reading.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of reading focus (situation level vs. text level) on predictive inference representation.
- To test the hypothesis that predictive inferences are primarily represented at the situational level.
Main Methods:
- A probe word paradigm with delayed probes was employed.
- Participants read sentences under two conditions: focusing on the situation level or the text level.
Main Results:
- Significant priming for predictive texts was observed when participants focused on the situation level.
- Priming was not significant when participants focused on the text level, supporting differential representation.
Conclusions:
- Predictive inferences are minimally represented and primarily associated with the situational level of understanding.
- Explicitly presented information is represented at both text and situational levels, unlike predictive inferences.
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