Lecture 10 - Comprehension

Question 1

What does lexical ambiguity refer to?

Answer 1

Words that have multiple meanings/interpretations that are semantically unrelated.

i.e. words that are homonyms

Question 2

What are homonyms?

Answer 2

Words that have multiple meanings/interpretations that are semantically unrelated.

i.e words that are lexically ambiguous.

Question 3

What are the 3 models that explain how we interpret the semantic meaning of homonyms/when words are lexically ambiguous?

Answer 3

• selective access
• ordered access
• parallel access

Question 4

How does the selective access model explain how we interpret the semantic meaning of homonyms?

Answer 4

We use the context of the situation to restrict ourselves to meanings that are appropriate.

Question 5

How does the ordered access model explain how we interpret the semantic meaning of homonyms?

Answer 5

Meaning we choose is based on frequency that the word is used.

Question 6

How does the parallel access model explain how we interpret the semantic meaning of homonyms?

Answer 6

Proposes that all meanings are activated simultaneously.

Question 7

What did Swinney (1979) find about homonyms?

Answer 7

Initially all meanings of a homonym are activated, but later contextual information is used to select the correct/most relevant meaning.

Question 8

What are biased homonyms?

Answer 8

Two words with semantically unrelated meanings, and one word is used much more frequently than the other.

Question 9

What are balanced homonyms?

Answer 9

Two words with semantically unrelated meanings, where each meaning is used as frequently as the other.

Question 10

What did Raynor & Duffy (1986) find by using eye-tracking to investigate homonyms?

Answer 10

Investigated looking times for biased and balanced homonyms.

Found that PPS looked longer at the contextual information when the less frequent meaning of a biased homonym is used in a sentence. This occurred even in sentences which had congruent contexts.

Also found that PPS look longer at balanced homonyms, but only if the sentence had not already provided context. If context had been provided before the homonym was mentioned, looking times are no different compared with normal words.

Looking longer at the word indicated that both meanings were activated, and PPS were attempting to establish which meaning was most appropriate for the sentence.

Question 11

What is the subordinate bias effect?

Answer 11

If the less frequent meaning of a homonym has to be interpreted, it will always take more time.

Question 12

What is this effect called?

If the less frequent meaning of a homonym has to be interpreted, it will always take more time.

Answer 12

Subordinate bias effect

Question 13

What is the reordered access model of homonyms?

Answer 13

Hybrid of parallel and selective access models, because it suggests that frequency of the word and contextual information can influence which meaning of the word is selected.

Question 14

What are the 3 main types of inferences?

Answer 14

• logical
• bridging (backward)
• elaborative (forward)

Question 15

What are logical inferences?

Answer 15

Inferences based on word meaning

Question 16

What are bridging/backward inferences?

Answer 16

New incoming information is related to information already processed, in order to maintain coherence.

Question 17

What are elaborative/forward inferences?

Answer 17

Inferences that are made based on own world knowledge.

Question 18

What are 3 theories that explain when inferences are made?

Answer 18

• Minimalist approach
• Constructionist approach
• Search-after-meaning (hybrid)

Question 19

What does the minimalist approach suggest about which inferences are made during processing?

Answer 19

Only logical and bridging inferences:

• inferences necessary for local coherence (connections between sentences that are no further than 1/2 sentences apart)
• inferences based on quickly and easily available information (such as the info based in STM).

Says that most elaborative inferences are only used during recall.

Question 20

Which elaborative influences might be used during processing, (according to the minimalist approach)?

Answer 20

Only ones that are easily available

Question 21

What does the constructionist approach theorise about the type of inferences that are drawn during reading/processing?

Answer 21

Numerous elaborative inferences are drawn during reading.

Question 22

In general, is a strong constructionist approach well supported?

Answer 22

No.

Question 23

What does the search-after-meaning approach theorise about the type of inferences that are drawn during reading/processing?

Answer 23

Theorises that the number of inferences made depend on the goal of reading.

If reading is fast and needs to be superficial, less inferences will be made.

If reading is slower and more systematic, more inferences will be made, especially elaborative ones.

Question 24

What are good enough representations?

Answer 24

The idea that we use fast and frugal (simple) heuristics/learning approaches to lead to a sufficient interpretation that makes sense, rather than investing algorithms to reach the correct interpretation.