句子语境中语义联系效应和句法效应的研究

通过对比研究句子语境中句法成分和语义联系对目标词加工的不同影响,来探讨句子语境的作用机制和作用点问题。实验一采用词汇命名任务研究发现,句法违反对词汇命名会产生抑制作用,而语义违反对词汇命名却没有发现抑制作用。实验二利用词汇决定任务发现,句法和语义成分影响词汇决定任务,句法违反和语义违反对词汇决定任务均会产生抑制作用。结果表明,句子语境加工中,对内容词语义整合过程中存在一个句法成分的独立加工水平。     

词汇选择中句子语境效应的研究

通过两个词汇选择实验,采用快速选择法对汉语句子语境作用作了考察.结果发现句子语境位置及语境与目标词之间的语法关系对于词汇选择起着重要的作用.这些结果表明(1)前语境为被试对随后出现的目标词有一种预期效应,它对词汇选择的促进作用大于延迟语境;(2)当句子或短语不符合句法时,语境的效应很弱,语境效应的产生依赖于句法、语义等高层次的表征.     

句法结构和动词重复对汉语句子口语产生中句法启动效应的影响

研究中采用启动范式和图片描述任务, 利用句法选择比率和句子产生潜伏期的两个指标, 考察了启动句句法结构、动词是否相同和延时对汉语口语句子产生中句法启动效应的影响。结果发现在选择比率上, 句法结构产生的启动效应随延时变化保持稳定, 由启动句和目标句动词相同导致的启动效应的提高量(词汇增强效应)快速衰退, 首次为句子产生过程的句法选择阶段和计划阶段提供了证据。在句子产生潜伏期上, 仅发现启动句和目标句句法结构相同时缩短了句子产生潜伏期, 这可能是由于启动句句法结构激活水平的提高, 使得说话者在目标句产生的句法计划和选择阶段都更快引起的。选择阶段的加工影响句法选择比率, 而选择阶段和计划阶段共同影响了句子产生的潜伏期, 实验结果支持了两阶段竞争理论的观点。     

句法启动的产生机制

句法启动是指个体在产生和理解句子时,倾向于重复使用刚刚加工过的句法结构。本文梳理了句法启动研究在句法启动的实质（语义的还是句法的）、驱动机制（是词汇驱动的还是词汇独立的）、以及时间进程（激活、内隐学习还是双机制理论）等方面的最新进展,发现以下结论：语义对语言产生中的句法启动起着重要作用,但对语言理解中的句法启动作用不明显;语言产生中的句法启动不依赖于词汇重叠,而语言理解中的句法启动大部分是词汇驱动的;激活说能解释语言理解中的句法启动,内隐学习说能够解释相对持久的语言产生中的句法启动现象,双机制理论则可以揭示语言理解中相对持久的句法启动现象。同时指出,以汉语为材料以及通过优化研究设计、丰富研究方法手段等可以深化研究。     

句法启动研究的范式及其在语言理解中的争论

重复是一种非常重要的行为现象。在心理语言学领域, 句法启动是重复的一种非常独特的表现形式, 有助于推进研究者更好地理解语言是如何表征和加工的。在系统梳理文献的基础上, 归纳了句法启动研究使用的句子类型, 详细阐述了句法启动研究的实验范式, 即句子复述－图片描述范式、句子补全范式、句子回忆范式和视觉情境眼动范式, 指出了不同范式的优缺点; 系统探讨了语言理解中句法启动研究的核心争论, 即句子理解中的启动是策略的, 语义的, 还是句法的; 如果存在句法启动效应, 那么该效应是词汇驱动的, 还是词汇独立的。最后, 对语言理解中句法启动效应在未来研究中需解决的问题进行了展望。     

高限制性句子语境条件下词汇接触次数和二语熟练度对词汇习得的影响

两个实验以汉-英双语者为被试,考察高限制性句子语境条件下,词汇接触次数和二语熟练程度对二语附带词汇习得的影响。在实验过程中,让被试阅读1-4个高限制性的句子语境,把要学习的英语假词放置在句尾。实验1和实验2分别采用语义相关判断任务和词汇回忆任务测量词汇习得的效果。研究结果表明,在高限制性的句子语境条件下,少数的几次接触陌生词汇即可附带习得词汇的意义;二语熟练度越高,越有助于词汇的习得。     

句子产生中的句法启动

句子产生中的句法启动是指个体产生一个句子时,倾向于重复使用刚刚加工过的句法结构。研究发现：（1）句法启动不能简单用词汇、题元或韵律等因素来解释;（2）启动句和目标句动词、题元角色数目以及顺序是否一致,影响句法启动;（3）层级结构和线性结构具有心理现实性;（4）存在说和写之间以及从理解到产生的跨通道句法启动。这些发现促使研究者提出了新的句子产生理论,如句法启动模型和动词句法表征模型。论文最后指出了进一步研究的方向     

工作记忆广度与汉语句子语境效应的关系

采用计算机快速系列视觉呈现技术,以反应时为指标,利用命名法,从工作记忆容量个体差异的角度,探讨汉语句子阅读中的语境效应。本研究将句子的语境效应分为两个来源：一个是自动激活扩散的词汇之间的语义启动,另一个是相互作用的句子水平的主题启动。结果表明：词汇间的语义启动不受工作记忆容量的影响,并且不易受到无关记忆任务的干扰。句子水平的主题启动会受到工作记忆容量的影响：工作记忆广度较高的读者能出现主题水平的语境效应,但是在无关记忆任务的干扰下,句子主题水平的语境效应消失;低广度的读者在无外部记忆负荷和有外部记忆负荷两种条件下都没有出现主题水平的语境效应。工作记忆容量对那些需要较多认知资源的加工过程产生显著的影响,实验结果符合工作记忆容量限制理论     

聋大学生的词汇习得年龄效应

通过3个实验, 考察了聋大学生的词汇习得年龄效应。实验1采用汉字命名任务和图片命名任务, 被试使用手语命名, 发现在图片命名中存在着词汇习得年龄效应, 在汉字命名中未出现此效应。实验2和实验3分别采用汉字词语义分类任务和图片语义分类任务, 要求被试做生命物和非生命物的判断, 发现在两个语义分类任务中均出现了词汇习得年龄效应。整个研究表明, 在控制了语音因素之后, 语义因素在聋生的词汇习得年龄效应产生中具有重要的作用, 从而支持了语义假设。     

汉语词汇习得的年龄效应：语义假设的证据

通过三个实验考察了词汇加工中的习得年龄效应。实验一对比了汉字命名和图片命名中词汇习得的年龄效应,发现图片命名中存在着较大的词汇习得的年龄效应,汉字命名中没有出现这种效应。实验二和实验三分别采用语义范畴判断任务和图片语义分类任务,两个实验均发现了词汇习得的年龄效应。实验结果说明,词汇习得的年龄效应至少部分来源于语义加工的层次,结果支持了语义假设的观点     

The influence of lexical and conceptual constraints on reading mixed-language sentences: Evidence from eye fixations and naming times

In two experiments, we explored the degree to which sentence context effects operate at a lexical or conceptual level by examining the processing of mixed-language sentences by fluent Spanish-English bilinguals. In Experiment 1, subjects’ eye movements were monitored while they read English sentences in which sentence constraint, word frequency, and language of target word were manipulated. A frequency × constraint interaction was found when target words appeared in Spanish, but not in English. First fixation durations were longer for high-frequency Spanish words when these were embedded in high-constraint sentences than in low-constraint sentences. This result suggests that the conceptual restrictions produced by the sentence context were met, but that the lexical restrictions were not. The same result did not occur for low-frequency Spanish words, presumably because the slower access of low-frequency words provided more processing time for the resolution of this conflict. Similar results were found in Experiment 2 using rapid serial visual presentation when subjects named the target words aloud. It appears that sentence context effects are influenced by both semantic/conceptual and lexical information.     

Semantic facilitation across sensory modalities in the processing of individual words and sentences

The effect of semantic priming upon lexical decisions made for words in isolation (Experiment 1) and during sentence comprehension (Experiment 2) was investigated using a cross-modal lexical decision task. In Experiment 1, subjects made lexical decisions to both auditory and visual stimuli. Processing auditorily presented words facilitated subsequent lexical decisions on semantically related visual words. In Experiment 2, subjects comprehended auditorily presented sentences while simultaneously making lexical decisions for visually presented stimuli. Lexical decisions were facilitated when a visual word appeared immediately following a related word in the sentential material. Lexical decisions were also facilitated when the visual word appeared three syllables following closure of the clause containing the related material. Arguments are made for autonomy of semantic priming during sentence comprehension.     

Sentence context modulates visual word recognition and translation in bilinguals

The influence of sentence context constraint on subsequent processing of concrete and abstract cognates and noncognates was tested in three experiments. Target words were preceded by a predictive, high constraint sentence context, by a congruent, low constraint sentence context, or were presented in isolation. Dutch-English bilinguals performed lexical decision in their second language (L2), or translated target words in forward (from L1 to L2) or in backward (from L2 to L1) direction. After reading a high constraint sentence context, cognate and concreteness effects disappeared in lexical decision and strongly decreased in both translation tasks. In contrast, low constraint sentences did not influence cognate and concreteness effects. These results suggest that semantically rich sentences modulate cross-language interaction during word recognition and word translation.     

Ability to stand alone and processing of open-class and closed-class words: Isolation versus context

Four experiments investigating processing of closed-class and open-class words in isolation and in sentence contexts are reported. Taft (1990) reported that closed-class words which could not meaningfully stand alone and open-class words which could not meaningfully stand alone incurred longer lexical decision responses than did control words. Taft also reported that closed-class and open-class words which could stand alone meaningfully were not associated with longer lexical decision responses than were control words. Experiments 1 and 2 replicated Taft 's effect of ability to stand alone on lexical decision responses to closed-class and open-class words presented in isolation. In Experiments 3 and 4, the same lexical decision targets were presented as part of semantically neutral context sentences in a moving window paradigm. The stand-alone effect was not present in Experiments 3 and 4. The results suggest Toft's conclusion that meaningfulness of a word influences lexical decision needs revision. An explanation is provided according to which support from message level and syntactic and lexical sources in sentence contexts influence words' perceived “meaningfulness.”     

Syntactic context and lexical access

Recent studies demonstrating that multiple meanings of an ambiguous word are initially accessed even when only one reading is syntactically appropriate with the preceding context can be criticized on at least two grounds. First, many of the syntactic contexts used were not truly restrictive, and, secondly, subjects may not have had time to integrate the context before processing the ambiguous word. In the present study, subjects listened to a sentence ending in an ambiguous word and then made a lexical decision to a target related to either the appropriate or inappropriate reading. Contexts were completely restrictive, and a pause was introduced between the context and the ambiguous word. Multiple access still obtained, providing further support for the claim that lexical access is not guided by syntactic context.     

汉语同形歧义词歧义消解的两半球差异

实验探讨汉语同形歧义词(homographs)歧义消解的过程及大脑两半球的差异。被试为华中科技大学96名大学生,实验采用词汇判断任务。句子语境呈现在被试的视野中央,探测词在SOA(stimulus onset asynchronism)为100毫秒或400毫秒时呈现在左视野或右视野。结果发现,(1)当SOA为100毫秒时,在左视野(右半球)上,与语境一致的同形歧义词的主要意义得到激活,与语境不一致的次要意义也有一定程度的激活。在右视野(左半球)上,只有与语境一致的同形歧义词的主要意义得到激活。(2)当SOA为400毫秒时,在左、右视野(两半球)上,与语境一致的同形歧义词的主要意义和次要意义都得到激活。结果表明,大脑左半球对汉语歧义词的歧义消解具有一定的优势,语境敏感模型可以较好地解释本实验的结果。     

Memory effects in syntactic ERP tasks

The study presented here investigated the role of memory in normal sentence processing by looking at ERP effects to normal sentences and sentences containing grammatical violations. Sentences where the critical word was in the middle of the sentence were compared to sentences where the critical word always occurred in sentence-final position. Grammaticality judgments were required at the end of the sentence. While the violations in both conditions result in the expected increase in the P600 component (reflecting the fact that the syntactic violation is being processed), the sentences with the sentence-medial critical word also result in a late frontal negativity effect. It is hypothesized that this effect is due to greater memory requirements that are needed to keep the violation in mind until a response can be made at the end of the sentence. The maintenance of the decision that a sentence is ungrammatical must be kept in memory longer for sentence-medial violations as opposed to when the violation occurs at the end of the sentence (immediately preceding the moment at which the judgment can be made).     

Understanding metaphoric sentences in the two cerebral hemispheres

Previous studies indicate that the right hemisphere (RH) has a unique role in maintaining activation of metaphoric single word meanings. The present study investigated hemispheric asymmetries in comprehending metaphoric word meanings within a sentence context. Participants were presented with incomplete priming sentences followed by (literally) true, false, or metaphoric lateralized target words and were asked to decide whether each sentence is literally true or false. Results showed that responses to metaphoric sentences were slower and less accurate than to false sentences when target words were presented to the right visual field (RVF)-LH as well as to the left visual field (LVF)-RH. This suggests that the understanding of lexical metaphors within a sentence context involves LH as well as RH processing mechanisms and that the role of each hemisphere in processing nonliteral language is flexible and may depend on the linguistic task at hand.     

Ego-threat interpretive bias in test anxiety: On-line inferences

Abstract

The hypothesis that test anxiety is associated with an on-line bias towards threatening interpretations of ambiguous information was explored by means of a lexical decision task. Ambiguous sentences (concerned with ego-threat, physical-threat, or non-threat events) were presented to high- and low- test-anxiety subjects. Sentences were followed by a disambiguating word or a very wordlike corresponding nonword, which either confirmed or disconfirmed the threat implied by the sentence. A control condition involved the presentation of words and nonwords alone, without being primed by the sentences. Results indicated that there were no differences in lexical decision times as a function of test anxiety when words and nonwords were presented alone. In contrast, when they were primed, high-anxiety subjects took longer to respond correctly to the ego-threat confirming nonword, and to the ego-threat disconfirming word, compared with low-anxiety subjects; likewise, high-anxiety subjects responded faster to the ego-threat confirming word than to the ego-threat disconfirming word, compared with low-anxiety subjects. These results suggest that test anxious individuals are likely to draw inferences with an ego-threat meaning, but not with a physical-threat meaning, when reading ambiguous sentences.