Date of Award

Fall 1995

Project Type

Dissertation

Program or Major

Psychology

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

First Advisor

Edward O'Brien

Abstract

Four experiments were conducted to determine the availability of spatial information from a situation model. In Experiment 1, participants were told to either focus on spatial information while reading the texts or to read for comprehension. At the end of each text, participants were presented with a probe word to name. The probe word was either spatially associated or dissociated with the final spatial location of the main character. Participants named the spatial probe more quickly only when told to focus on spatial information. Experiment 2 used reading time as a dependent measure to determine ease of integration of spatially associated or dissociated information. Again, participants were told either to focus on spatial information or to read for comprehension. Participants noticed a violation of coherence between the critical sentence and previously presented spatial information only when told to focus on spatial information. Experiments 3 and 4 replicated Experiments 1 and 2 respectively, with re-written passages designed to implicitly encourage the readers to focus on spatial information. In Experiment 3 participants named spatial probe more quickly only when told to focus on spatial information. However, in Experiment 4, participants noticed a violation of coherence regardless of explicit experimental instructions. Results are discussed within the Construction-Integration model (Kintsch, 1988).

Download

Share

COinS