Comprehension: from clause to conspiracy narrative

ABSTRACT

In this article, I outline the evolution of my research in the domain of narrative comprehension. I cover three phases: (1) the event-indexing model, which explores connecting events in narratives; (2) the immersed experiencer framework, which focuses on event representations and mental simulations; and (3) a preliminary exploration of conspiracy thinking, in which I reveal parallels with coherence generation in narrative comprehension. I emphasize the interconnectedness of these domains and call for further investigation into the intricacies of narrative comprehension.

Acknowledgments

I am deeply honored to be the 2023 recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award from the Society for Text and Discourse. I thank my co-authors, and in particular Art Graesser, Joe Magliano, and Gabe Radvansky, for their many contributions to the work I describe here. I am grateful to the Society and its senior members for their support throughout the years and for this recognition.

I thank Tobias Richter, Mark Stadler, and an anonymous reviewer for helpful feedback on an earlier version of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).