Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 5, 2026

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects
Published on: November 30, 2018
Working memory, reading ability and the effects of distance and typicality on anaphor resolution in children
Holly S S L Joseph1, Georgina Bremner2, Simon P Liversedge3
1Department of Psychology, Social Work and Public Health, Oxford Brookes University , Gipsy Lane Campus, Headington , Oxford OX3 0BP , UK ; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford , South Parks Road, Oxford , OX1 3UD , UK.
Abstract:
We investigated the time course of anaphor resolution in children and whether this is modulated by individual differences in working memory and reading skill. The eye movements of 30 children (10-11 years) were monitored as they read short paragraphs in which (1) the semantic typicality of an antecedent and (2) its distance in relation to an anaphor were orthogonally manipulated. Children showed effects of distance and typicality on the anaphor itself and also on the word to the right of the anaphor, suggesting that anaphoric processing begins immediately but continues after the eyes have left the anaphor. Furthermore, children showed no evidence of resolving anaphors in the most difficult condition (distant atypical antecedent), suggesting that anaphoric processing that is demanding may not occur online in children of this age. Finally, working memory capacity and reading comprehension skill affect the magnitude and time course of typicality and distance effects during anaphoric processing.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Information Processing Approach
Language and Cognition
Working Memory
Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...

