Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4) Practice Exam

A key feature of the situation model of text processing is that it creates a mental representation of aspects such as people, events, settings, and the relationships among these elements in a narrative or informational text. This means that readers actively engage with the content, constructing an understanding that goes beyond the mere words on the page. This mental representation allows individuals to integrate new information with their existing knowledge and to visualize or imagine the scenarios being described, enhancing comprehension and retention.

The focus on creating a mental model is crucial because it reflects how learners comprehend and interact with texts in a meaningful way. In contrast, concentrating solely on sentence structure, exact wording, or grammatical correctness does not capture the full scope of how information is processed and understood within context.