Argues that on-line linguistic choices are made in a matrix of continuous discourse connection. Investigates hypotheses concerning communicative dynamism. Identifies gestures as reflective of the status of utterances. Interprets correlations of gestures and linguistic material as reflective of an underlying unity. (HB)

Investigates and demonstrates the strong effects of the role of global discourse organization on the comprehension of temporal order in narrative texts. Proposes three principles of discourse organization. Tests the comprehension of underlying event order of five passages by subjects. (HB)

Investigates the hypothesis that one of the processes used in situation model development is an inferential process in which the reader employs knowledge to form expectations when predictive text opportunities arise. Suggests that predictions are available to the reader at an abstract level of representation. (HB)

Outlines three basic views of how readers infer causal connections and how they generate causal inferences. Evaluates these three hypotheses with reference to current research in the field. (HB)

Discusses the differences among current researchers interested in inferences, including the types of inferences studied and the methodologies used. Presents a theoretical and methodological framework for organizing empirical investigations of inferential processes of reading. (HB)

Considers the difference between commonplace inferences versus more elusive inferences in reading processes. Claims that higher level inferences may be restricted in part because they do not operate in response to simple memory symbols but depend on complex compositional representations not always available. (HB)

Suggests that the term "inference" itself has had a negative effect on the study of how information is elaborated and reduced in text processing. Discusses some of the current views of inferencing in text comprehension. Suggests viewing information reduction processes within the same framework as information accretion. (HB)

Examines cohesion in the introductions to some scientific articles and compares the patterns to those from popularizations. Discusses a computational model of cohesion. Argues that readers of scientific articles must have a knowledge of lexical relations to see the implicit cohesion, whereas readers of popularizations must see the cohesive…

Studies the construction of coherent narrations of events in a picture storybook by children and adults. Applies a causal network discourse analysis. Analyzes the structure and content of the network representation of the main character. Reveals differences in content and structure of the narratives. (HB)

Studies how readers process text in the absence or presence of a relevant schema. Analyzes the results of a study in which subjects were required to read vague texts. Indicates that schemas affect on-line comprehension and that reading without a schema involves certain key strategies. (HB)

Considers whether causal antecedent and causal consequence inferences are generated on-line during comprehension and also determined the time course of their activation. Supports a bridging model of inference generation, since causal antecedents were generated online, whereas causal consequences were not. (HB)

Analyzes children's verbal disputes for the development of discourse markers "because,""so,""and,""but," and "well." Shows that the markers were primarily used to mark the exchange structure of discourse when they were first used by children two years seven months to three years six months and that the first markers to do so were "but" and…

Outlines five competing ideas about how the literal meanings of sentences can be determined. Studies people's intuitive sense of the literal meanings of sentences. Examines through two experiments people's judgments about the literality of sentences containing figurative language. Discusses implications of findings. (HB)

Discusses the problem of "overlap" sometimes experienced by interdisciplinary teams. Analyzes a brief segment of a team conversation in which overlap is discussed. Reveals participants' territoriality in the face of an ideology of interdisciplinary collaboration. (HB)

Outlines a model of the speech act of apologizing that ranges apologies along a continuum from the most situational to the most personal. Analyzes 252 occurrences of apologies in 62 telephone interviews. Shows how most apologies are functions of discourse task management tactics. (HB)