An example that supports the idea that semantic information about cohort competitors may be activated during incremental language processing is:
John saw a lion at the zoo.
In this sentence, when the word "lion" is encountered, it activates a cohort of semantically related words in the reader's or listener's mind, such as "tiger," "cheetah," or "panther." These words are all potential competitors in the early stages of processing because they share semantic features with "lion." The reader or listener's brain initially considers these alternatives before narrowing down the meaning based on the context provided by the rest of the sentence. This demonstrates how semantic information about cohort competitors is activated during incremental language processing. Be