Representing spatial shifts in event processing

Two experiments explored the effects of changes in distance and location on the accessibility of event-related information during language comprehension. In Experiment 1, listeners viewed visual scenes depicting a location containing several objects, while they listened to narratives describing an agent either staying in that initial location, or moving to a new one (either close or far away), and then thinking about one of the depicted objects. We found that eye movements to these objects were modulated (reduced) by changes in location, rather than distance. In Experiment 2, listeners viewed scenes depicting two rooms, while they listened to narratives describing an object moving either between the rooms, or within one room. When the object was mentioned following the event, we found fewer eye movements to it when the movement occurred between rooms. We discuss these results in relation to the Event Horizon model.