SCOPE OF WORD MEANING ACTIVATION DURING SENTENCE PROCESSING BY YOUNG AND OLDER ADULTS

In a naming experiment, we examined word meaning activation on-line du ring sentence processing by younger and older adults, Sentences were b iased to either the most or least frequently used meaning of a sentenc e-final ambiguous word, In order to determine the scope of initial mea ning activation, targets represented either high- or low-salient seman tic relationships to a single sense of the ambiguous word in context. Both age groups evidenced context-dependent activation of word meaning . In addition, context activated a wide scope of meaning that included both high- and low-salience aspects of the ambiguous words, These res ults contradict predictions based on the inhibition deficit hypothesis (Hasher & Zacks, 1988). However, they are compatible with an interact ive activation model of language comprehension that does not discrimin ate among age groups.