Depth of processing in language comprehension: not noticing the evidence
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Updated: Aug 31, 2026

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects
Published on: November 30, 2018
Anthony Sanford1, Patrick Sturt
1Dept of Psychology, University of Glasgow, 58 Hillhead Street, G12 8QB., Glasgow, UK
Abstract:
The study of processes underlying the interpretation of language often produces evidence that they are complete and occur incrementally. However, computational linguistics has shown that interpretations are often effective even if they are underspecified. We present evidence that similar underspecified representations are used by humans during comprehension, drawing on a scattered and varied literature. We also show how linguistic properties of focus, subordination and focalization can control depth of processing, leading to underspecified representations. Modulation of degrees of specification might provide a way forward in the development of models of the processing underlying language understanding.
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