Psychological Theories of Elaborative Inferences: Implications for Schema-Theoretic Views of Comprehension

Abstract

RESEARCH is reviewed relevant to understanding the conditions in which elaborative inferences are made, with a particular concern for the implications for schema-theoretic notions of comprehension. Several studies using recognition and cued recall paradigms have suggested that instruments implied by verbs and specific instances of general terms are extensively inferred during comprehension. This evidence has been interpreted as reflecting the filling of slots in schematic structures with default options. However, the efficacy of memory paradigms for studying comprehension processes has been challenged. Recent evidence from methods that assess processing during comprehension suggests that elaborative inferences are made only in very limited contexts. In light of these recent empirical findings and current theoretical developments within the field of artificial intelligence, it seems that a more dynamic view of the activation and utilization of the knowledge base is emerging. The implications for future research are considered in the context of the general issue of elaborative processes in memory.

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