The construction of mental representation during reading; inferences generation

As we understand a given text, we elaborate our own mental models of meaning and use inferences to fill in text that has been omitted. Even the simplest of texts require inferencing. The present paper has explored the process of generating inferences and some issues related to mechanisms involved in inference generation: What inferences are generated? When are they generated? What specifically do they add to the reader\u27s representation(s) of the text? What sources of information need when inferences are generated? What cognitive processes and representations produce inferences during comprehension? Generation of inferences involves a mental process of combining what is read with relevant prior knowledge. Inference-generation is not an all-or-nothing process, i.e., inferences are generated at various degrees of strength, from automatic to strategic processes. When proficient readers infer, they create a meaning that is not necessarily stated explicitly in the text. The process implies that readers actively search for, or are aware of, implicit meaning. (DIPF/Orig.