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Updated: Sep 28, 2025
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Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language
Published on: October 13, 2018
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Temporary ambiguity and memory for the context of spoken language
Kaitlin Lord1, Sarah Brown-Schmidt2
1Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|March 31, 2022
Summary
Temporary ambiguity in spoken language enhances memory for non-referenced items. This effect is stronger with longer ambiguity periods, improving recall of potential meanings beyond what was explicitly stated.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Psycholinguistics
- Memory Research
Background:
- Spoken language interpretation is incremental, leading to temporary ambiguity.
- Listeners may remember both referenced and non-referenced items from the context.
- Mechanisms of memory for language context are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if temporary referential ambiguity enhances memory for contextual items.
- To investigate the relationship between ambiguity duration and memory enhancement.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted.
- Participants were exposed to spoken language with periods of temporary referential ambiguity.
- Recognition memory tests were used to assess recall of referenced and non-referenced items.
Main Results:
- Periods of temporary referential ambiguity boosted memory for non-referenced items.
- Items temporarily matching the referring expression were better remembered.
- Longer ambiguity periods resulted in a stronger memory boost, especially for early-activated items.
Conclusions:
- Temporary ambiguity in spoken language enhances memory for contextual items.
- This phenomenon allows listeners to remember not only what was said but also potential alternatives.
- Incremental language processing creates memory benefits for the broader context.
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