Abstract:
Based on the idea that predictions during language comprehension are generated by the language production system, this behavioural study explored the relationship between the prediction and the generation of words. This was done using the generation effect in memory, which is the finding that words that have been generated by participants themselves are better remembered than words that have only been perceived. Participants read sentences ending in a predictable or unpredictable word, which was presented as a picture. They named the picture themselves or only heard its name. Then, they were tested on their memory for the words. The hypothesis was that, if predictable words (but not unpredictable words) are already covertly generated by the production system, then the memory results would show an interaction effect between predictability and generation: the added memory improvement from actual generation should be smaller for predictable words than for unpredictable words. The results showed a clear generation effect, but could not provide evidence to support the interaction effect. As this might be due to a ceiling effect, improvements to the experimental design are suggested.
