A Study Of The Effects Of Working Memory Capacity, Context And Text Processing Depth On Chinese EFL Learners’ On-line Predictive Inference Generation During Narrative Text Comprehension

This study is designed to explore the effects of working memory capacity,context and text processing depth on Chinese EFL learners’ on-line predictiveinference generation during narrative text comprehension. One on-line experimentwas conducted among ninety-four non-English majors at Ocean University of China.The design is2(working memory capacity: high and low)×2(text processing depth:deep and surface)×2(context: high and low) factorial. The reading time method wasadopted to record the subjects’ response times and response results, with the help ofthe psychological research software DMDX.The results indicate that (1) Chinese EFL learners’ working memory capacitysignificantly constrain their on-line predictive inference generation. High-span readersrespond significantly faster to target sentences representing predictive inferences thantheir low-span counterparts;(2) context influences the on-line generation of predictiveinferences.(3) text processing depth considerably influences the on-line predictiveinference generation. Deep text processing can promote the generation of predictiveinferences; and (4) there is an interaction between working memory capacity andcontext on the generation of predictive inferences.This thesis consists of five parts. The introduction provides the researchorientation and objectives of the study together with the outline of this thesis. ChapterTwo theoretically and empirically reviews relevant literature. The definitions of somekey concepts, models and influencing factors of predictive inference generation havealso been expatiated in this part. Chapter Three is concerned with the experiment. It describes the participants, materials and procedures of the experiment. Chapter Fourpresents the results and a general discussion of the results. A summary of the majorfindings, implications of the present study and suggestions for future studies areincluded in the last chapter.