Acceso usuarios
Experimental studies about inference production in text comprehension are analysed in this critical review. First, inferences are classified with respect to their functions : local and global coherence and elaboration of mental representations Then the question of why inferences are made is examined... in others words, what are the conditions that trigger inference production ; these conditions are related to reader's goal and knowledge, text type, and the activation resulting from these different conditions. The minimalist and constructivist positions are presented and their differences are evaluated. Finally we examine when elaborative inferences are produced. Conclusions stress relations between different types of inferences on the different levels of mental representations, the role of working memory and the need for more specification of theoretical models.
