Relational Memory and Language Comprehension

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This project investigates how the mind coordinates information in human memory with the presentation of novel information provided during language comprehension. The focus is on the dynamic construction of a mental representation of discourse through the interpretation of referential expressions, typically pronouns. The work investigates the manner in which this process is mediated by representational aspects of episodic and semantic memory, and will integrate knowledge about memory and language processing to explain how the ambiguity, frequency, and semantic content of noun phrases affect a critical aspect of language comprehension, namely the interpretation of expressions that refer to entities mentioned previously. The primary method used in the research is to measure the eye movements of adults as they read short passages; an additional method involves measurement of the time that it takes to answer questions about the passages. The research will provide answers to two fundamental questions which have been the subject of substantial debate in recent years: (1) What role, if any, can general principles of memory play in explaining language processing, and (2) in what ways, if any, is reference to entities that are central (or topical) in a discourse processed differently from reference to entities that are not central.