The Influence of Anaphoric Relations and Departures From Story Grammar Structure on Text Processing

The use of anaphoric relations and text adherence to story grammar rules were manipulated to produce different conditions of inferencing demands for college‐age students. Participants read passages that varied in the degree to which bridging inferences had to be formulated for text cohesion and understanding. This was done by using either word/concept repetition (least demanding; the low‐inference group) or pronominal, substitution, and ellipsis anaphora (most demanding; the high‐inference group) in passages. Subjects in both conditions read a passage consistent with story grammar rules and another passage departing from the typical narrative story schema.