M. Rinck et al., SPATIAL SITUATION MODELS AND NARRATIVE UNDERSTANDING - SOME GENERALIZATIONS AND EXTENSIONS, Discourse processes, 21(1), 1996, pp. 23-55
The generality of effects of situation models on narrative comprehensi
on was investigated. In three experiments, a spatial gradient of acces
sibility in situation models was observed. The accessibility of object
s contained in the situation model decreased with increasing spatial d
istance between the object and the focus of attention in the readers'
situation model. A variety of factors that might influence the spatial
gradient effect were investigated: the way the relevant spatial infor
mation was acquired (studying a text vs. a layout), the spatial scenar
io (a research center vs. a day care center), the direction of spatial
distance (backward vs. forward on the route), the language used (Engl
ish vs. German), the manner in which the accessibility of objects was
probed (object probe pairs vs. anaphoric sentences), the existence of
prior knowledge about the objects (objects learned as part of the scen
ario vs. unknown objects), and the participants' task (reading narrati
ves vs. imagining their own movements). Despite these variations, a sp
atial gradient was observed in all three experiments, indicating that
the effects of spatial situation models may be generalized to a variet
y of experimental paradigms and cognitive tasks.