中文阅读中的字词激活模式:来自提示词边界延时效应的证据

Test the activation model of transforming characters to words in Chinese reading: Evidence from delay word-boundary effects

研究采用眼动随动显示技术,通过操控提示正确/错误词边界线索的延迟时间,考察汉语阅读中汉字、词汇加工与词切分的时间特性。实验1发现,提示词n+1边界不影响总阅读时间,但能积极影响词兴趣区内的眼动数据,这种影响随着提示延迟时间的增加而逐步减弱;提示错误的词n+1的边界线索对总阅读时间的影响则随提示延迟时间的增加呈现倒"U"型的变化趋势。实验2发现,提示词n边界不影响总阅读时间,但却消极影响词兴趣区内的眼动数据,这种消极影响并没有随着提示延迟时间的增加而减弱;提示错误的词n边界对总阅读时间和眼动数据均产生消极的影响,且这种影响都随着提示延迟时间的增加而减弱。综合两项实验的结果可以推测,单一的向上反馈假设和整体假设都不能全面解释阅读中的字词加工过程,汉字加工与词汇加工间存在交互激活过程。

Recently, word segmentation in Chinese reading has become an important research issue, especially concerning how readers segment sequences of characters into words. The feed forward hypothesis assumes that the visual information obtained from Chinese characters is initially fed into a character recognition system, and word segmentation follows after character recognition, leading to word recognition. The holistic hypothesis assumes word segmentation influences character recognition through feedback. According to the interactive hypothesis, word segmentation is an interactive process involving characters and words. In the present study, we investigated the timing of segmentation on word n＋l and word n to test these above mentioned hypotheses. The sentences used in the experiment consisted of 7 to 10 two-character words. These stimuli were balanced in four conditions following a Latin-square design. Experiment 1 contained two sub-experiments （Experiments 1A ＆ 1B）. We manipulated delay times in conditions facilitating the segmentation of word n＋l in Experiment 1A. There were four conditions in total： a control and three facilitating-segmentation conditions, in which the color of word n＋1 changed from red to black, after word n was fixated for 40/120/160 ms. In the baseline, control condition normal sentences were presented in red. The results showed that none of these facilitating-segmentation conditions of word n＋1 promoted sentence reading time, but they did positively influence eye movement data with reliable main delay time effects that did not fit the predictions of the holistic hypothesis. It was not possible to exclude the influence of exogenous attention from the results of Experiment 1A. Therefore, Experiment 1B, which adopted similar conditions as were used in Experiment IA, was conducted. In this sub-experiment, however, the two adjacent characters not belonging to a word were grouped together, and their color was changed simultaneously. Thus, these manipulations interrupted the word n＋l segmentation. This sub-experiment was also able to test for the three hypotheses mentioned in the first paragraph. The results showed that all the interrupted manipulations negatively influenced eye movement data, and the influences on sentence reading time followed an inverted U shape in the function of delay times in the interrupted word n＋ 1 segmentation conditions. The patterns of eye movements and sentence reading time in Experiment 1B differed from those in Experiment 1A, thus excluding the influence of exogenous attention from the results obtained in Experiment 1A. The results of Experiment 1B did not fit the prediction of the feed forward hypothesis. There were also two sub-experiments （A ＆ B） in Experiment 2, in which the delay times of the conditions facilitating/interpreting the segmentation of word n were manipulated. Four conditions were used in Experiment 2A： a control condition provided as the baseline and 3 facilitating the segmentation of word n after a fixation time of 40/120/160 ms, changing the color from red to black. We found that these facilitating-segmentation of word n conditions do not promote sentence reading time, but that they negatively influence eye movement data without reliable main delay time effects. However, interpreting the segmentation of word n （Experiment 2B） negatively influenced the sentence reading time and eye movement data with reliable main delay time effects. The results of Experiment 2 did not fit the predictions of either the feed forward or the holistic hypothesis. In a word, the results from both experiments （Experiment 1 ＆ 2） indicate an interactive process between character and word.