Integrative and inferential Processes in sentence comprehension

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out in order to investigate the integrative and inferential processes in sentence comprehension by using free association paradigm. Subjects learned sentences, each of which contained a free association word to a stimulus word. Following the acquisition phase of the sentences, the subjects were given a free association test, where they were asked to write down a response word to each stimulus word. The results indicated that in both experiments the percentage of target responses was markedly higher than the expected value of free association norm, and that the percentage of intrasentential responses was higher for Scrambled Order condition than for Regular Order condition in Experiment 1. Futhermore, it was indicated that the percentage of target responses was markedly higher than the expected value even if the stimulus word had not been contained in the acquisition lists, and the relative frequency with which target responses were elicited was higher for Inferred condition than for Noninferred condition. These results were discussed in terms of the spreading activation theory of semantic memory.