Children’s inference generation: The role of vocabulary and working memory

Nicola Kate Currie,Kate Cain

doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2015.03.005

Abstract

Inferences are crucial to successful discourse comprehension. We assessed the contributions of vocabulary and working memory to inference making in children aged 5 and 6years (n=44), 7 and 8years (n=43), and 9 and 10years (n=43). Children listened to short narratives and answered questions to assess local and global coherence inferences after each one. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed developmental improvements on both types of inference. Although standardized measures of both vocabulary and working memory were correlated with inference making, multiple regression analyses determined that vocabulary was the key predictor. For local coherence inferences, only vocabulary predicted unique variance for the 6- and 8-year-olds; in contrast, none of the variables predicted performance for the 10-year-olds. For global coherence inferences, vocabulary was the only unique predictor for each age group. Mediation analysis confirmed that although working memory was associated with the ability to generate local and global coherence inferences in 6- to 10-year-olds, the effect was mediated by vocabulary. We conclude that vocabulary knowledge supports inference making in two ways: through knowledge of word meanings required to generate inferences and through its contribution to memory processes.

Highlights

Skilled comprehenders make sense of written and spoken language by constructing a coherent memory-based representation of the state of affairs described by the text, commonly referred to as a situation model (Kintsch, 1988)
The proportion of total correct items for local and global coherence inferences were the dependent variables in the analyses reported
In line with expectations and previous research, the 6-year-olds were able to generate these inferences from short narrative text, but significant improvements were found with age

Summary

Introduction

Skilled comprehenders make sense of written and spoken language by constructing a coherent memory-based representation of the state of affairs described by the text, commonly referred to as a situation model (Kintsch, 1988). Readers and listeners regularly make inferences to integrate information within the text and to fill in details that are only implicit. These inferences are incorporated into the situation model that the comprehender constructs and result in a more accurate and complete understanding of the text (Graesser, Singer, & Trabasso, 1994). A greater understanding of the factors that support early inference making will inform models of comprehension development and the literacy curriculum and targeted intervention programs for children with weak inference-making and comprehension skills.

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