Processing Narrative Coherence: Towards a Top-Down Model of Discourse
نویسندگان
چکیده
Models of discourse and narration elaborated within the classical compositional framework have been characterized as bottom-up models, according to which discourse analysis proceeds incrementally, from phrase and sentence local meaning to discourse global meaning. In this paper we will argue against these models. Assuming as a case study the issue of discourse coherence, we suggest that the assessment of coherence is a top-down process, in which the construction of a situational interpretation at the global meaning level guides local meaning analysis. In support of our hypothesis, we explore the role of executive functions (brain functions involved in planning and organization of goal-oriented behaviors) in coherence’s establishment, discussing the results of several studies on narrative abilities of patients with brain injuries. We suggest that, compared to other models of discourse processing focused on comprehension, our model is a viable candidate for an integrated account of discourse comprehension and production. 1998 ACM Subject Classification I.2.7 Natural Language Processing
منابع مشابه
The Analysis of the Discourse Markers in the Narratives Elicited from Persian-speaking Children
Discourse markers (DMs) are linguistic elements that index different relations and coherence between units of talk. Most research on the development of these forms has focused on conversations rather than narratives. This article examines age and medium effects on use of various discourse markers in pre-school children. Fifteen normal Iranian monolingual children, male and female, participated ...
متن کاملEvent-Related Potentials of Bottom-Up and Top-Down Processing of Emotional Faces
Introduction: Emotional stimulus is processed automatically in a bottom-up way or can be processed voluntarily in a top-down way. Imaging studies have indicated that bottom-up and top-down processing are mediated through different neural systems. However, temporal differentiation of top-down versus bottom-up processing of facial emotional expressions has remained to be clarified. The present st...
متن کاملThe effect of bottom-up and top-down auditory program training on the development of children's auditory processing skills
Although there have been several previous investigations on the role of auditory training for the development of auditory processing skills, it still remains unknown whether children with auditory processing difficulties can get improved auditory skills after exposure to a multi-modal training experience comprising both visual and tactile stimuli. The present study, therefore, attempted to use ...
متن کاملThe effect of bottom-up and top-down auditory program training on the development of children's auditory processing skills
Although there have been several previous investigations on the role of auditory training for the development of auditory processing skills, it still remains unknown whether children with auditory processing difficulties can get improved auditory skills after exposure to a multi-modal training experience comprising both visual and tactile stimuli. The present study, therefore, attempted to use ...
متن کاملInterferring Discourse Relations in Context
We investigate various contextual effects on text interpretation, and account for them by providing contextual constraints in a logical theory of text interpretation. On the basis of the way these constraints interact with the other knowledge sources, we draw some general conclusions about the role of domain-specific information, top-down and bottom-up discourse information flow, and the useful...
متن کامل