Mental Models in Narrative Comprehension

Readers of stories construct mental models of the situation and characters described and infer causal connections relating characters' actions to their goals, thereby activating nearby parts of the mental model.

Abstract

Readers of stories construct mental models of the situation and characters described. They infer causal connections relating characters' actions to their goals. They also focus attention on characters' movements, thereby activating nearby parts of the mental model. This activation is revealed in readers' faster answering of questions about such parts, with less facilitation the greater their distance from the focus. Recently visited as well as imagined locations are also activated for several seconds. These patterns of temporary activation facilitate comprehension.