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Abstract:
The lexical dynamics of reading comprehension include the
activation and meaning selection of relevant word meanings and
their assembly into meaning units (propositions). I consider two
related (but contrasting) accounts of how these dynamics interact
with comprehension process and influence comprehension skill (the
Verbal Efficiency Hypothesis and the Suppression Hypothesis). I
report the results of a series of studies that examine adult
performance on lexical tasks (including tasks with ambiguous words
and homophones). The results indicate that the activation and
suppression patterns are consistent with the assumption that there
is a continuum of reading skill described by the quality of word
representations. The lexical dynamics of immediate comprehension,
including the activation of contextually appropriate word meanings,
depend these representations, which are of lower quality for less
skilled readers. To explain variation in comprehension, there may
be no need to postulate an addition suppression mechanism
deficit.
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