Blanc, Nathalie

Tapiero, Isabelle

English

eScholarship - University of California

UC MercedProceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science SocietyTitleStudy of the Time Course of the Updating ProcessPermalinkhttps://escholarship.org/uc/item/2h79x7hhJournalProceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 21(0)AuthorsBlanc, NathalieTapiero, IsabellePublication Date1999 Peer reviewedeScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital LibraryUniversity of Californiastud y o f  th e T i m e Cours e o f  th e Updat in g Proces s Nathali e Blan c (Nathalie.Blanc@univ-Iyon2.fr ) Isabell e Tapier o (Isabclle.Tapiero@univ-lyon2.fr ) Universit y o \  l.yo n I I  (France ) Laborator y o f  Cognitiv e Psycholog y 5,  avenu e Pierr e Mend^s-France ,  C.P .  1 1 6967 6 B R O N cede x (France ) Thi s stud y focuse s o n th e wa y reader s integrat e ne w incomin g textua l  informatio n int o th e menta l  representatio n the y initial y constructed .  Accordin g t o Morrow ,  Bowe r  an d Greenspa n (1989) , th e menta l  representatio n activate d a t  th e beginnin g o f  th e readin g i s on-lin e update d b y th e integratio n o f  ne w incomin g information . Mor e specifically ,  thei r  findings  base d o n on-lin e probe d tas k ar e consisten t  wit h th e assumptio n tha t  reader s mak e on-lin e inference s t o updat e thei r  menta l  representation .  T o th e opposite ,  d e Veg a (1995 )  postulate s tha t  th e integratio n o f  ne w incomin g informatio n i s a backwar d process .  B y usin g a n inferenc e judgmen t  task ,  h e provide d experimenta l  support s t o thi s assumption .  Thus ,  model s o f comprehensio n diffe r  i n thei r  hypothesi s o n th e occurrenc e o f  th e updatin g (i.e. ,  integration )  process .  Issue d fro m thes e opposit e results ,  ou r  intentio n wa s t o demonstrat e tha t  th e updatin g proces s i s compose d o f  tw o tempora l  components ,  a  first  on e occurrin g on-lin e and a  secon d on e intervenin g wit h a  certai n delay .  Accordin g t o ou r view ,  eac h incomin g informatio n ma y b e mappe d on-lin e int o th e existin g menta l  representation ,  bu t  it s  final  integratio n t o th e complet e mode l  depend s o n a  backwar d updatin g whic h occurrenc e i s functio n o f  readers '  prio r  knowledge .  I n lin e wit h Ericsso n an d Kintsc h (1995) ,  w e propose d tha t  th e expansio n o f  short-ter m workin g memor y du e t o a  hig h leve l  o f  prio r  knowledg e allow s t o maintai n mor e ne w incomin g informatio n an d t o dela y thei r integratio n i n long-ter m memor y a s a  functio n o f  thei r  relevanc e fo r th e res t  o f  th e text .  O n th e contrary ,  i f  subject s d o no t  hav e enoug h knowledg e abou t  th e situation ,  the y shoul d us e a n on-lin e proces s t o integrat e ne w incomin g information .  Thi s assumptio n als o lead s t o ris e question s o n th e duratio n o f  th e integratio n proces s (temporar y or  definitive )  an d h o w thi s duratio n interact s wit h readers '  prio r knowledge . Experimen t Metho d 72 student s fro m th e Universit y o f  Lyo n I I  (France )  wer e instructe d t o rea d a  tex t  tha t  describe d a  pla y wit h tw o topics ,  th e scener y o f  th e stag e an d th e characters '  goa l  an d actions .  Th e tex t  wa s divide d int o tw o equa l  parts ,  th e first  on e describe d th e spatia l  arrangemen t  o f object s i n th e layou t  an d th e locatio n o f  thre e characters ,  an d th e secon d on e mentione d th e movemen t  o f  th e character s wit h som e o f th e object s previousl y located .  Th e scener y o f  th e stag e wa s compose d o f  a  livin g an d a  dinin g roo m tha t  containe d 8  object s each .  Prio r  t o th e readin g o f  th e first  par t  o f  th e text ,  w e provide d subject s wit h prio r  informatio n o n th e describe d situation .  The y receive d a  shor t  tex t  tha t  describe d eithe r  al l  th e spatia l  arrangemen t of  object s i n th e scener y (hig h specifi c  condition) ,  o r  th e locatio n o f fixe d object s onl y (lo w specifi c  condition) ,  o r  genera l  informatio n abou t  th e layou t  o f  a  theatr e (genera l  condition) .  Th e situatio n mode l buil t  wa s teste d afte r  th e readin g o f  eac h par t  o f  th e tex t  vi a a n inferenc e judgmen t  tas k tha t  containe d 8  spatia l  inference s fo r  eac h topic .  Participant s judge d whethe r  eac h statemen t  wa s tru e o r  fals e i n relatio n t o th e par t  o f  th e tex t  previousl y read .  Th e first  tas k deal t wit h locatio n informatio n onl y an d th e secon d on e concerne d onl y motio n informatio n tha t  wer e als o probe d durin g th e readin g o f  th e secon d par t  o f  th e tex t  (Morro w e t  al. ,  1989) .  Afte r  eac h sentenc e describin g a  character' s movement ,  6  pair s o f  word s namin g object s of  th e scener y wer e presente d on e afte r  another .  Participant s judge d whethe r  the y wer e locate d i n th e character' s goa l  room .  Th e object s wer e eithe r  locate d i n th e sam e o r  i n differen t  room s an d wer e eithe r fixed  o r  move d b y a  characte r  i n th e secon d par t  o f  th e text . R e s u l t s a n d D i s c u s s i o n Fro m th e result s obtaine d t o thes e differen t  tasks ,  w e dra w fou r mai n conclusions .  First ,  th e updatin g proces s ca n occu r  eithe r  i n a n on-lin e o r  i n a  backwar d way .  Second ,  readers '  prio r  knowledg e determin e th e tim e cours e o f  th e updatin g process .  Reader s wit h hig h specifi c  prio r  knowledg e use d th e tw o tempora l  component s wherea s subject s i n th e lo w specifi c  an d genera l  condition s preferentiall y  use d th e on-lin e component .  Third ,  th e duratio n o f  th e integratio n varie s as a  functio n o f  prio r  knowledge :  Wherea s performance s increase d betwee n on-lin e an d backwar d task s fo r  reader s wit h hig h specifi c prio r  knowledge ,  th e revers e patter n wa s observe d fo r  reader s o f  th e tw o othe r  conditions .  I n othe r  words ,  thes e latter s appea r  t o temporaril y  updat e thei r  situatio n mode l  wherea s th e forme r  seem s t o definitivel y integrat e ne w incomin g information .  Finally ,  thes e result s highlighte d th e limit s o f  on-lin e task s tha t  mainl y asses s th e temporar y integratio n wherea s backwar d task s evaluat e th e permanen t  integration .  Thus ,  w e underline d tha t  th e effect s o f readers '  prio r  knowledg e a s wel l  a s th e tas k bia s hav e t o b e take n int o accoun t  i n th e stud y o f  th e updatin g process . References de Vega ,  M .  (1995) .  Backwar d updatin g o f  menta l  inodel s durin g continuou s readin g o f  narratives .  Journa l  o f Experimenta l  Psvchology .  Learning .  M e m o r y an d Cognition .  2 L 373-385 . Ericsson ,  K .  A. ,  &  Kintsch ,  W .  (1995) .  Long-ter m workin g m e m o r y .  Psychologica l  Review .  102 ,  211-245 . M o r r o w ,  D .  G. ,  B o w e r ,  G .  H. ,  &  Greenspan ,  S .  L .  (1989) . Updatin g situatio n model s durin g narrativ e comprehension . Journa l  o f  M e m o r y an d Language .  28 .  292-312 . 787 

Study of the Time Course of the Updating Process

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Study of the Time Course of the Updating Process

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