ABSTRACT

To build a coherent accurate mental representation of a text, readers routinely validate information they read against the preceding text and their background knowledge. It is clear that both sources affect processing, but when and how they exert their influence remains unclear. To examine the time course and cognitive architecture of text-based and knowledge-based validation processes, we used eye-tracking methodology. Participants read versions of texts that varied systematically in (in)coherence with prior text or background knowledge. Contradictions with respect to prior text and background knowledge both were found to disrupt reading but in different ways: The two types of contradiction led to distinct patterns of processes, and, importantly, these differences were evident already in early processing stages. Moreover, knowledge-based incoherence triggered more pervasive and longer (repair) processes than did text-based incoherence. Finally, processing of text-based and knowledge-based incoherence was not influenced by readers’ working memory capacity.

摘要

为了建立连贯的，准确的文本心理表达方式，读者通常会根据先前的文本和背景知识来验证他们阅读的信息。显然，这两个来源都会影响处理，但是何时以及如何他们施加的影响仍然不清楚。为了检查基于文本和基于知识的验证过程的时间过程和认知架构，我们使用了眼动追踪方法。参与者阅读的文本版本会与先前的文本或背景知识保持一致。与先前的文本和背景知识有关的矛盾都被发现破坏了阅读，但是以不同的方式：两种矛盾导致了不同的过程模式，而且重要的是，这些区别在处理的早期阶段就已经很明显了。而且，与基于文本的不一致性相比，基于知识的不一致性引发了更普遍和更长的（修复）过程。最后，基于文本和基于知识的不连贯性的处理不受读者工作记忆容量的影响。