Accessing distant text information during reading: Effects of contextual cues

In 5 experiments, we investigated conditions under which readers access distant information. Participants read texts containing 2 episodes; the first of which described a goal that was satisfied or unsatisfied. Following the 2nd episode, participants read a statement that reinstated some part of the goal context. Experiments 1 through 3 demonstrated that reactivation of unsatisfied goal information depended on the type of original goal context and whether it was fully reinstated. Experiments 4 and 5 demonstrated that, when the context was associated with both episodes, reinstatement of goal information from the distant target episode was successful only when the context was fully reinstated (Experiment 4). The results are consistent with models of comprehension that assume reactivation of relevant backgrounded information is achieved via a resonance process.