Eye movements and word skipping during reading: effects of word length and predictability

Eye movements were monitored as subjects read sentences containing high- or low-predictable target words. The extent to which target words were predictable from prior context was varied: Half of the target words were predictable, and the other half were unpredictable. In addition, the length of the target word varied: The target words were short (4-6 letters), medium (7-9 letters), or long (10-12 letters). Length and predictability both yielded strong effects on the probability of skipping the target words and on the amount of time readers fixated the target words (when they were not skipped). However, there was no interaction in any of the measures examined for either skipping or fixation time. The results demonstrate that word predictability (due to contextual constraint) and word length have strong and independent influences on word skipping and fixation durations. Furthermore, because the long words extended beyond the word identification span, the data indicate that skipping can occur on the basis of partial information in relation to word identity.     

Eye movements of highly skilled and average readers: Differential effects of frequency and predictability

This study offers a glimpse of the moment-by-moment processes used by highly skilled and average readers during silent reading. The eye movements of adult readers were monitored while they silently read sentences. Fixation durations and the spatial-temporal patterns of eye movements were examined to see whether the two groups of readers exhibited differential effects of frequency and/or predictability. In Experiment 1, high- and low-frequency target words were embedded in nonconstraining sentence contexts. In Experiment 2, the same participants read high- and low-frequency target words that were either predictable or unpredictable, embedded in highly constraining sentence contexts. Results indicated that when target words appeared in highly constraining sentence contexts, the average readers showed different effects of frequency and predictability from those shown in the highly skilled readers. It appears that reading skill can interact with predictability to affect the word recognition processes used during silent reading.     

The effect of word frequency, word predictability, and font difficulty on the eye movements of young and older readers

Young adult and older readers' eye movements were recorded as they read sentences containing target words that varied in frequency or predictability. In addition, half of the sentences were printed in a font that was easy to read (Times New Roman) and the other half were printed in a font that was more difficult to read (Old English). Word frequency, word predictability, and font difficulty effects were apparent in the eye movement data of both groups of readers. In the fixation time data, the pattern of results was the same, but the older readers had larger frequency and predictability effects than the younger readers. The older readers skipped words more often than the younger readers (as indicated by their skipping rate on selected target words), but they made more regressions back to the target words and more regressions overall. The E-Z Reader model was used as a platform to evaluate the results, and simulations using the model suggest that lexical processing is slowed in older readers and that, possibly as a result of this, they adopt a more risky reading strategy.     

Does interword spacing influence lexical processing in Chinese reading?

This study investigated how inserting spaces between Chinese words affected word recognition in Chinese reading. Eye movements of Chinese readers were recorded in a sentence reading task where high- and low-frequency target words were presented in both the spaced and normally unspaced texts. We found that fixation durations on target words were shorter in the high- than low-frequency conditions, and shorter in the spaced than unspaced conditions. The survival analysis revealed that interword spacing advanced the temporal onset of word frequency effects relative to the normally unspaced condition. However, inconsistent with the findings in English reading, there was no interaction between word frequency and interword spacing on all fixation duration measures, and the Bayes factor analyses also favoured the hypothesis of null interaction. These data suggest that interword spacing facilitates visual rather than lexical processing in Chinese reading, and thus improves our understanding on the roles of interword spacing across different writing systems.     

中央凹加工负荷与副中央凹信息在汉语阅读眼跳目标选择中的作用

研究探讨汉语读者选择眼跳目标时, 中央凹注视词的加工负荷是否影响副中央凹获取信息量, 进而调节随后的眼跳长度。采用眼动追踪技术, 操纵了中央凹注视词的词频(高频、低频)和副中央凹词的笔画数(多笔画、少笔画)。结果发现：从中央凹词到副中央凹少笔画词的眼跳长度显著地长于到多笔画词的, 且这种笔画数效应并不受中央凹加工负荷的调节; 从高频中央凹词到副中央凹词的眼跳长度显著地长于低频词的。在本实验条件下结果提示：中央凹加工负荷在眼跳目标选择中的作用不是通过调节副中央凹获取信息量的多少来实现的。     

词频、可预测性及合理性对目标词首次注视位置的影响

采用三项实验分别考察了目标词的词频、可预测性和合理性对读者眼动模式的影响。结果显示:(1)词频、可预测性和合理性对目标词语的凝视时间和总注视时间都有显著影响,但在首次注视时间上主效应不显著;(2)词频和可预测性不影响目标词的跳读率和再注视概率,而合理性对目标词的再注视概率产生显著的影响;(3)远注视点眼跳倾向于将首次注视位置着落于目标词的开端部位,而近注视点眼跳倾向于将首次注视着落于目标词的中央部位;词频、可预测性和合理性均不影响首次注视位置。     

词汇预测性对中文高、低阅读技能儿童眼动行为的影响

操纵目标词的预测性、词频和阅读技能水平,考察句子阅读中词汇预测性对高、低阅读技能儿童眼动行为的影响,揭示其在儿童阅读发展中的作用。结果显示：儿童对高预测词的跳读率更高、注视时间更短,且预测性与词频交互影响跳读率和注视时间;预测性对高阅读技能儿童早期的跳读率影响更大,而对低阅读技能儿童晚期的再阅读时间具有更大影响。结果表明：词汇预测性影响儿童阅读的眼动行为和词汇加工,且作用大小和发生时程受阅读技能调节。     

语境预测性对中文高低阅读技能儿童预视加工的影响

采用呈现随注视变化的边界范式(boundary paradigm),操作目标词的语境预测性和预视类型,考察高、低阅读技能儿童在词汇预视加工中语境预测效应的差异。结果发现,高、低阅读技能儿童对语境预测性的使用在发生时程上存在差异,高阅读技能儿童从词汇副中央凹预视加工阶段开始利用语境预测性信息,而低阅读技能儿童则在加工晚期更加依赖语境预测性信息,符合预测编码框架理论对儿童语境预测性效应差异的解释。     

The effect of word and character frequency on the eye movements of Chinese readers

Eye movements of native Chinese readers were monitored as they read sentences containing target words that varied in terms of word frequency and character frequency. There was an effect of word frequency on fixation times on a target word and it was comparable in size to that typically found with readers of English. Furthermore, character frequency also influenced fixation time on the target word. The effect of the initial character in two character words was more pronounced than that of the second character. However, word frequency modulated the effect of character frequency. The effect of character frequency was attenuated with high frequency target words while it was quite apparent with low frequency target words.     

Predictability effects during reading in the absence of parafoveal preview

The predictability of upcoming words facilitates both spoken and written language comprehension. One interesting difference between these language modalities is that readers’ routinely have access to upcoming words in parafoveal vision while listeners must wait for each fleeting word from a speaker. Despite readers’ potential glimpse into the future, it is not clear if and how this bottom-up information aids top-down prediction. The current study manipulated the predictability of target words and their location on a line of text. Targets were located in the middle of the line (preview available) or as the first word on a new line (preview unavailable). This represents an innovative method for manipulating parafoveal preview which utilises return sweeps to deny access to parafoveal preview of target words without the use of invalid previews. The study is the first to demonstrate gaze duration word predictability effects in the absence of parafoveal preview.     

跳读是基于副中央凹词的部分加工还是完全加工？

为探讨词跳读是基于副中央凹词的部分加工还是完全加工,实验选用高预测词作为副中央凹目标词,通过边界范式来操纵目标词的预视：高预测预视（一致预视）、低预测预视、与目标词正字法相似的假字预视、与目标词正字法不相似的假字预视。对目标词的分析发现：（1）正字法相似的假字预视下对目标词的跳读率显著大于正字法不相似的假字预视;（2）高预测预视与低预测预视下对目标词的跳读没有显著差异,但前者总注视时间比后者短。实验结果说明,从副中央凹词提取的正字法预视信息足够使中文读者做出跳读的决定,研究结果在一定程度上支持跳读基于副中央凹词部分加工的观点。     

并列和偏正结构双字合成词的注视位置效应

采用EyeLink II眼动仪, 选取并列结构和偏正结构两种类型的目标词, 要求大学生被试阅读包含有目标词的句子, 以探讨两种双字合成词的注视位置效应。结果发现：在阅读并列和偏正结构的目标词时, 单次注视条件下读者往往将首次注视定位于词的中心位置, 多次注视时首次注视往往落在词的开端部分; 当首次注视落在词的开端时再注视该词的概率增加, 而且再注视往往落在词的结尾部分。结果提示：在单次注视条件下存在偏向注视位置; 双字合成词结构不影响偏向和最佳注视位置; 研究结果支持“战略-战术”模型。     

中文阅读中快速读者与慢速读者的词频效应

在熟练的中文阅读中,个体阅读效率越高,词汇加工效率是否越高,目前还缺少直接证据。本研究通过记录快速读者与慢速读者在阅读含有高频或低频目标词句子时的眼动轨迹来考察该问题。结果发现,在第一遍注视时间、回视路径时间和总注视时间上,快速读者对高频词与低频词的注视时间无显著差异,但都短于慢速读者;而慢速读者对低频词的注视时间显著长于高频词。即快速读者的早期词汇识别和后期词汇整合效率都较高,不受词频影响;而慢速读者的整个词汇加工效率较低,受词频影响较大。这些结果表明两组读者的词汇加工模式具有本质差异,符合个体差异性观点与词汇质量假说。     

词切分对日-汉双语者汉语阅读影响的眼动研究

以24名日-汉双语者为被试, 采用EyeLink2000眼动仪, 通过两个实验来探讨词切分对日-汉双语者汉语句子阅读的影响。实验一采用四种词切分方式：正常条件、词间空格条件、非词空格条件和字间空格条件。为了确保四种词切分条件下句子的空间分布一致, 实验二采用灰条标记作为字、词或非词的边界。结果发现：(1)在总体和局部分析中, 词间空格条件下平均注视时间显著少于正常条件; 非词空格和字间空格条件下的阅读时间更长、注视次数更多。(2)在总体分析中, 总句子阅读时间和总注视次数在正常条件和词间空格条件中差异不显著; 局部分析中, 词间空格条件比正常条件下的阅读时间更短、注视次数更少。表明日-汉双语者在阅读词间空格文本和正常文本一样容易; 词切分对日-汉双语者汉语阅读的词汇识别有促进作用; 在汉语阅读中, 词是重要的加工单位。     

中文阅读中词汇加工的年老化:眼动证据

本研究探讨年老化影响中文阅读中词汇加工过程的特点,包含两项实验。实验一探讨老年与青年读者在词频效应上的差异,实验二探讨老年与青年读者在语境预测性效应上的差异。结果发现：（1）相对于青年读者,老年读者注视目标词汇的时间较长、再注视回视较多、跳读较少;（2）在首次注视时间、凝视时间和眼跳参数上,年龄组别与词频之间交互作用不显著,但对目标词汇的总注视时间上,年龄组别与词频之间交互作用显著;（3）在所有注视时间指标和回视概率上,均发现年龄组别与语境预测性影响之间交互作用显著。结论：中文老年读者阅读时的词汇加工效率低于青年人;中文阅读中眼跳策略与词汇加工的年老化模式有语言特殊性特点。     

词切分对初学者句子阅读影响的眼动研究

采用EyeLink II眼动仪,以72名小学三年级学生为被试,通过三个实验来探讨词切分对初学者汉语句子阅读的影响。实验一设置四种空格呈现条件:正常的无空格条件、字间空格条件、词间空格条件和非词空格条件。实验二采用灰条标记作为字、词或非词的边界,使不同条件下句子的空间分布是一致的。实验三进一步操纵了学生的阅读技能。结果发现三个实验的结果趋势是一致的。小学三年级学生在阅读有词间空格的文本和正常的无空格文本一样容易。尽管词切分文本对阅读技能高和阅读技能低的学生来说一样容易,但非词空格呈现条件会对阅读技能低的学生产生更大的干扰作用。阅读技能低的学生在阅读过程中更依赖于文本的低水平视觉线索。文章最后讨论了词切分对建构中文阅读眼动控制模型的启示。     

Developmental Study of the Reversed Stroop Effect in Chinese-English Bilinguals

Chinese-English bilinguals in Grades 2, 4, 8, 10, and in college read Chinese and English color words in black or in colored print in the corresponding language. Subjects were more efficient in reading Chinese than English. This superiority effect of reading Chinese gradually decreased as subjects' familiarity with English increased. Furthermore, skilled readers were less susceptible than less skilled readers to the introduction of conflicting colors of ink. This result indicates that the pattern of the reversed Stroop (1935; Dunbar & MacLeod, 1984) effect is related to the proficiency of word processing.     

Bilingual Reading of Compound Words

The present study investigated whether bilingual readers activate constituents of compound words in one language while processing compound words in the other language via decomposition. Two experiments using a lexical decision task were conducted with adult Korean-English bilingual readers. In Experiment 1, the lexical decision of real English compound words was more accurate when the translated compounds (the combination of the translation equivalents of the constituents) in Korean (the nontarget language) were real words than when they were nonwords. In Experiment 2, when the frequency of the second constituents of compound words in English (the target language) was manipulated, the effect of lexical status of the translated compounds was greater on the compounds with high-frequency second constituents than on those with low-frequency second constituents in the target language. Together, these results provided evidence for morphological decomposition and cross-language activation in bilingual reading of compound words.     

Eye Movements, Cognitive Processes, and Reading

Itisveryclearthateyemovementdatahavebeenextremelyinfluentialinshapingwhatamodelofskilledreadingshouldbelike[1,2].Eyemovementdatahavealsoyieldedvaluableinsightsconcerningthemostappropriatewaystoteachreading[3,4].Giv鄄enthatmyownresearchhasinvolvedtheuseofeyemovementdataformanyyears,Iamoftenaskedwhatthemostsignificantfindingsthathaveemergedfromourlab.Inthisarticle,IwillfocusonwhatIviewtobethemostimportantfindingsanddevelopmentsfromtheresearchthatwehavedoneoverthisextended30yearperiod.Becauseou…     

快慢读者利用语境信息的差异：加工深度的作用

通过主题扫描和阅读理解两种加工深度不同的任务,考察快慢读者预测性效应差异的来源及加工深度在其中发挥的作用。被试在两种任务情境下阅读分别包含高低预测性目标词的96个句子框架,记录其眼动轨迹。结果显示：预测性效应仅在阅读理解任务中出现,快速读者在早期眼动指标上就表现出了预测性效应,慢速读者在晚期眼动指标上才表现出预测性效应。结果表明：加工深度调节快慢读者预测性效应的大小;在自然阅读情境下快慢读者的预测性效应表现符合预测编码框架假设。