What do we mean by prediction in language comprehension?

We consider several key aspects of prediction in language comprehension: its computational nature, the representational level(s) at which we predict, whether we use higher level representations to predictively pre-activate lower level representations, and whether we 'commit' in any way to our predictions, beyond pre-activation. We argue that the bulk of behavioral and neural evidence suggests that we predict probabilistically and at multiple levels and grains of representation. We also argue that we can, in principle, use higher level inferences to predictively pre-activate information at multiple lower representational levels. We also suggest that the degree and level of predictive pre-activation might be a…

• NI
  National Institute of Mental Health

  Award: R01 MH071635
• NI
  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

  Award: R01 HD075797,R01 HD082527
• DO
  Division of Information and Intelligent Systems

  Award: IIS 1150028