Differential intervention of executive functions in elaborative and bridging inferences

Currently reading comprehension is seen as a constructive process that depends on the involvement of different components that work together in order to create a representation in the reader’s mind. Building a mental model of text requires the development of elaborative and bridging inferences. The aim of this study was to assess the differential role that conscious and controlled processes have in execution of both types of inferences. We evaluated an incidental sample of 107 children aged 8 and 9, including participants from both genders, who were attending public and private schools in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina. Seven tasks were used for the assessment of executive functions, and two tasks involving inferences. The results showed a strong association between executive functioning (working memory, monitoring and cognitive flexibility) and the generation of elaborative inferences.