Charles Tijus, Francis Moulin
DAMM is a Dynamic Allocation Model of Meaning used to simulate the understanding of running situations by modelling the categorical allocation and the changes of allocation of objects. Two of the mechanisms of the model are (a) an integration mechanism for categorical allocations and (b) a mechanism, for the attentional shift of category. When applied to the understanding of texts that report verbal jokes, composed of two successive Interpretation and Reinterpretation Sentences both related to a polysemous term, the first mechanism predicts a longer response time for understanding the Reinterpretation Sentence. The second mechanism predicts a diminution of the response time of the Reinterpretation Sentence when the category allowed for Reinterpretation was pre-cued. Experimental results are compatible with the predictions of this general model of understanding, both on the effect of the distance between categories and on the effect of having precued the category allowed for Reinterpretation.