Abstract
Researchers have attempted to unravel the mechanisms individuals use to comprehend language throughout the 20th century. Specifically, researchers have debated as to whether individuals use heuristic shortcuts or a complete syntactic analysis when processing an incoming sentence. This study aims to build upon previous research by exploring the roles of syntax and plausibility in a sentence in order to untangle these language comprehension mechanisms. \r After presenting 24 participants with sentences of either active or passive syntactic forms that are either plausible or implausible, a systematic evaluation of comprehension accuracy and latencies comprehension responses was conducted. We found that when syntax is difficult, plausibility overrides syntax. This suggests that individuals tend not to undergo a complete syntactic analysis and instead opt for a more efficient heuristic shortcut. This study lays promising foundation for future studies involving the effect of perceptual difficulties on this phenomenon.