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Accessibility in Text and Discourse Processing.

Ted J M Sanders1, Morton Ann Gernsbacher2

  • 1Utrecht institute of Linguistics UiL OTS, Utrecht University.

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|December 19, 2014
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Linguistic accessibility influences how we use language, with longer words for less accessible concepts and shorter words for more accessible ones. This impacts text comprehension and production, studied through psycholinguistic methods.

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Area of Science:

  • Psycholinguistics
  • Linguistics
  • Discourse Processing

Background:

  • Referential coherence in text processing is a key challenge.
  • Linguistic forms systematically vary with referent accessibility (e.g., full NPs vs. pronouns).
  • Reader's conceptual activation fluctuates dynamically during text comprehension.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore linguistic and psycholinguistic aspects of accessibility in text and discourse.
  • To investigate how accessibility phenomena are manifested in language interpretation and production.
  • To integrate linguistic theories of accessibility with dynamic models of discourse processing.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of linguistic indicators of referential coherence.
  • Psycholinguistic research methods, including on-line reading time and eye-movement recording.
  • Examination of both language interpretation and production.

Main Results:

  • A systematic pattern exists where longer linguistic forms signal lower referent accessibility.
  • Shorter linguistic forms (pronouns, zero anaphora) indicate higher referent accessibility.
  • Dynamic activation patterns in readers' representations align with linguistic accessibility theories.

Conclusions:

  • Accessibility is a crucial factor in text and discourse processing.
  • Both linguistic and psycholinguistic perspectives are essential for understanding accessibility.
  • On-line methods effectively test hypotheses about activation patterns and accessibility.