Which processing helps distinguish sentence meaning based on word order?

Syntactic processing is the cognitive ability that enables individuals to interpret the structure of sentences, particularly how words are arranged to convey meaning. In language, word order plays a crucial role because it can indicate subjects, predicates, and other grammatical elements, helping to clarify the relationships among words within a sentence. For instance, the difference in meaning between "The cat chased the dog" and "The dog chased the cat" is primarily derived from the placement of the words, highlighting the importance of syntax.

Other types of processing are important in language comprehension but focus on different aspects. Orthographic processing deals with the visual representation of words, such as recognizing letters and spelling. Discourse processing focuses on understanding larger units of meaning across sentences and texts, while semantic processing pertains to the meaning of words and sentences themselves in isolation. While all these processes contribute to overall language understanding, syntactic processing specifically addresses how the arrangement of words affects sentence meaning.