Authors
Arthur Graesser, Tom Singer, Murray, & Trabasso
Publication date
1994
Journal
Psychological Review,
Volume
101
Pages
371-395
Publisher
APA
Description
The authors describe a constructionist theory that accounts for the knowledge-based inferences that are constructed when readers comprehend narrative text. Readers potentially generate a rich variety of inferences when they construct a referential situation model of what the text is about. The proposed constructionist theory specifies that some, but not all, of this information is constructed under most conditions of comprehension. The distinctive assumptions of the constructionist theory embrace a principle of search (or effort) after meaning. According to this principle, readers attempt to construct a meaning representation that addresses the reader's goals, that is coherent at both local and global levels, and that explains why actions, events, and states are mentioned in the text. This study reviews empirical evidence that addresses this theory and contrasts it with alternative theoretical frameworks.
Total citations
Scholar articles
AC Graesser, M Singer, T Trabasso - Psychological review, 1994
AC Graesser, KK Millis, RA Zwaan - Annual review of psychology, 1997