中-英双语语义通达机制的启动效应实验

采用不同加工水平的词汇判断任务,考察了启动刺激对目标刺激的启动效应,来探讨中英双语的语义通达机制。被试为大学生38名。结果发现：当启动刺激（英）和目标刺激（英）之间存在语义联想关系,得到了显著的启动效应（实验一）;当启动刺激（中）和目标刺激（英）之间存在语义联想关系,也得到了显著的跨语言启动效应（实验二）;当启动刺激（中）的翻译对等词和目标刺激（英）之间存在语音相同或相近关系时,采用基于语音的词汇判断任务,也得到了显著的跨语言启动效应。这一结果表明,对于中英双语者来说,第二语言的词汇表征既直接通达语义概念表征,又可以借助第一语言的词汇表征为中介再通达语义概念表征。     

非熟练潮-粤双言者的语义通达：来自听觉词加工的证据

采用听觉跨语言启动的语义判断范式, 考察非熟练潮-粤双言者的两种方言之间的语义通达方式。结果发现, 无论是以潮语词为启动词, 还是以粤语词为启动词, 当二者具有翻译关系时, 启动词均促进对目标词的识别, 但L1对L2的启动量比L2对L1的启动量大。当启动词与目标词具有语义联想关系时, 启动词亦能促进对目标词的识别, 但L1→L2与L2→L1的启动量差异不显著。整个研究表明, 非熟练潮-粤双言者的两种方言的词汇独立表征, 语义共享表征; 第二方言的词汇能够直接通达语义表征, 不需要以第一方言的词汇为中介, 但双言的词汇表征与语义表征的联结强度仍然存在着不对称性。     

维-汉-英三语者三种语言语义通达模型的实验研究

以维吾尔族大学生为研究对象,采用跨语言启动条件下的真假词汇判断任务,变换启动词与目标词的关系类型和语言种类,考察了L2—L1、L3—L1、L3—L2等三种语言词汇之间的语义通达模式。结果发现,维-汉-英三语者的三种语言词汇之间的联结模式为熟练的第二语言词汇是直接通达语义;而非熟练的第三语言词汇既借助母语词汇又借助汉语词汇来通达语义。除此之外,被试的外语熟练水平和语言间的相似性是影响外语词汇通达语义的主要原因。     

图词干扰范式下的语义效应

图-词干扰范式下存在着语义干扰效应（semanticinterferenceeffects,SIE）。研究发现,在图-词干扰范式下,语义干扰词对图片命名或者起干扰作用,或者起促进作用。产生这两种截然不同的语义效应的机制很复杂。主要有两种假说：⑴词汇选择竞争说：认为当干扰词和目标图画有语义关联时,干扰词和目标图画所对应的概念表征相互激活,从而造成语义干扰,词汇节点要通过竞争才能得到选择。⑵相对范畴水平说：认为决定语义效应及效应大小的关键因素是干扰词和目标词之间的范畴水平,如果干扰词和目标图画处在同一范畴的相同水平,则产生语义干扰;如果干扰词和目标图画处在同一范畴的不同水平,则产生语义促进。文章回顾了已有的研究及各种假说的争论,并对未来研究进行了展望     

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.     

词素效应到底是什么？——来自维吾尔语的证据

利用维吾尔语的一些特点,采用视觉－视觉启动、听觉－视觉跨通道启动、和延迟重复启动等三种启动技术,改变目标词和启动词之间在词素、词形以及语义上的多种关系,通过比较启动效应的异同,来考察词素效应是否可以还原为词形启动效应、语义效应,是否可以看成是词形和语义在实时加工中相互作用的后果,从而探讨词汇加工中词素效应的实质。实验一发现,在明确配对的视觉－视觉和跨通道启动中,启动词和目标词之间只有在具有词素加语义关系（＋m＋o＋s / D,＋m＋o＋s / R;其中,m 代表词素,o 代表词形,s 代表语义,D 代表目标词为派生词,R代表目标词为自由词根;＋ 表示启动词和目标词之间在某个维度上相关,－表示启动词和目标词之间在某个维度上无关）时或者仅仅具有语义关系（－m－o＋s / D）时,才有显著的启动效应。如果启动词与目标词之间仅仅具有词素（词形）关系,而没有语义关系（＋m＋o－s / D）,或者仅仅具有词形关系（－m＋o－s / R）,它们之间的启动效应微乎其微。实验二通过使用维吾尔语中的借词和延迟启动技术,比较了词素加语义加词形（＋m＋o＋s / D）的启动和语义加词形启动（－m＋o＋s / D）以及语义启动（－m＋o＋s / D）,发现词素启动效应并没有不同于其他启动条件下的效应。两个实验都表明,语义关系是产生启动效应的关键,没有语义相关,就不可能产生词素启动,词素效应依赖于语义效应。有了语义关系,词素关系和词形关系产生的作用很小。因此,词汇加工的词素效应是词形和语义统计学规律的反应,是词形和语义加工相互作用的后果,心理词典中并不需要明确地表征词汇结构。     

非熟练中——英双语者的第二语言的语义通达机制

使用跨语言启动条件下的真假字判断任务,通过变化启动刺激(英文单词)与目标刺激(汉字)采用4个实验研究了中-英非熟练双语者的第二语言的语义通达机制。被试为北京师范大学的学生63名。结果发现,当启动刺激(英文单词)的中文对译词与目标刺激之间的关系是翻译关系时,得到了显著的启动效应(实验一);当两者之间是语义联想关系时,前者对后者没有显著的影响(实验二);当两者之间是形似关系时,前者对后者产生了显著的抑制作用(实验三)：当两者之间是同音关系时,前者对后者产生了显著的促进作用。这一结果表明,对于中国的英语学习者来说,他们的第二语言只能借助其汉语对译词的词汇表征通达其语义概念表征,实验结果在一定程度上支持了Mroll(1994)的层次模型。     

熟练潮-普双言者的语义通达机制:来自通道比较的证据

采用跨语言启动的范畴判断范式,通过2个实验,考察了熟练潮-普双言者在听觉通道内和听-视跨通道条件下的语义通达机制。结果发现,无论是以潮州话词语为启动词,还是以普通话词语为启动词,当词对具有高语义相关时,启动词均对目标词产生了显著的跨语言启动效应;在听觉通道内,两种语言之间的启动量无差异,而在听-视跨通道条件下,L2对L1的启动量显著大于L1对L2的启动量。这些结果表明,熟练潮-普双言者共享语义(概念)表征,词汇表征既相互独立又互相联系,L1与L2的词汇均能直接通达语义表征,但其联系强度及其相互之间的词汇表征联系强度均存在通道差异性。整个研究结果支持Kroll等人的修正分级模型。     

三语者语义通达中的跨语言重复启动效应

采用跨语言重复启动的任务范式探讨三语者的语义通达机制。被试为在广州学习汉语的印度尼西亚留学生48名。自变量是学习条件(包括学过与未学过), 因变量是单词判断的反应时和正确率。实验1探讨三语者在视觉与听觉呈现的三语词汇语义通达任务中是否会借助于一语对等词, 结果发现一语词汇在两种任务条件下都能够发挥中介作用, 此结果表明了三语者与双语者语义通达机制的一致性; 实验2探讨三语者在视觉与听觉呈现的三语词汇语义通达任务中是否会借助于二语对等词, 结果发现二语词汇只能在视觉呈现任务条件下发挥中介作用, 此结果表明二语词汇在三语语义通达过程中的中介作用具有限制性。本研究结果表明三语者的语义通达机制与双语者既有一致性, 也有其限制性。     

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     

Semantic context effects and priming in word association

Two experiments investigated priming in word association, an implicit memory task. In the study phase of Experiment 1, semantically ambiguous target words were presented in sentences that biased their interpretation. The appropriate interpretation of the target was either congruent or incongruent with the cue presented in a subsequent word association task. Priming (i.e., a higher proportion of target responses relative to a nonstudied baseline) was obtained for the congruent condition, but not for the incongruent condition. In Experiment 2, study sentences emphasized particular meaning aspects of nonambiguous targets. The word association task showed a higher proportion of target responses for targets studied in the more congruent sentence context than for targets studied in the less congruent sentence context. These results indicate that priming in word association depends largely on the storage of information relating the cue and target.     

Tracking hand movements captures the response dynamics of the evaluative priming effect

We tested the response dynamics of the evaluative priming effect (i.e. facilitation of target responses following evaluatively congruent compared with evaluatively incongruent primes) using a mouse tracking procedure that records hand movements during the execution of categorisation tasks. In Experiment 1, when participants performed the evaluative categorisation task but not the non-evaluative semantic categorisation task, their mouse trajectories for evaluatively incongruent trials curved more toward the opposite response than those for evaluatively congruent trials, indicating the emergence of evaluative priming effects based on response competition. In Experiment 2, implementing a task-switching procedure in which evaluative and non-evaluative categorisation tasks were intermixed, we obtained reliable evaluative priming effects in the non-evaluative semantic categorisation task as well as in the evaluative categorisation task when participants assigned attention to the evaluative stimulus dimension. Analyses of hand movements revealed that the evaluative priming effects in the evaluative categorisation task were reflected in the mouse trajectories, while evaluative priming effects in the non-evaluative categorisation tasks were reflected in initiation times (i.e. the time elapsed between target onset and first mouse movement). Based on these findings, we discuss the methodological benefits of the mouse tracking procedure and the underlying processes of evaluative priming effects.     

Pre- and postlexical loci of contextual effects on word recognition

The context in which a word occurs could influence either the actual decoding of the word or a postrecognition judgment of the relatedness of word and context. In this research, we investigated the loci of contextual effects that occur in lexical priming, when prime and target words are related along different dimensions. Both lexical decision and naming tasks were used because previous research had suggested that they are differentially sensitive to postlexical processing. Semantic and associative priming occurred with both tasks. Other facilitative contextual effects, due to syntactic relations between words, backward associations, or changes in the proportion of related items, occurred only with the lexical decision task. The results indicate that only associative and semantic priming facilitate the decoding of a target; the other effects are postlexical. The results are related to the different demands of the naming and lexical decision tasks, and to current models of word recognition.     

基于位置和基于语义交互作用的无意识启动

采用线索-靶子范式,同时操纵刺激的位置和语义属性,考察了基于位置和基于语义交互作用的无意识启动。实验1和实验2分别要求被试完成定位任务和辨别任务。结果发现,当刺激位置属性与实验任务需求相关时,无论刺激的语义属性是否一致都产生了基于位置的启动效应;当刺激的语义属性与实验任务相关时,出现了基于位置和基于语义交互的无意识启动,即启动项和目标项的位置不同时,语义辨别任务存在启动效应;而启动项与目标项位置相同时,语义辨别任务存在着抑制趋势。研究结果表明,基于位置和基于语义交互作用的无意识启动效应仅存在于辨别任务中,而不存在于定位任务中。     

Gender Stereotype Activation versus Lexical Semantic Activation: An ERP Study

It is an open question whether social stereotype activation can be distinguished from nonsocial semantic activation. To address this question, gender stereotype activation (GSA) and lexical semantic activation (LSA) were directly compared. EEGs were recorded in 20 participants as they identified the congruence between prime-target word pairs under four different conditions (stereotype congruent, stereotype incongruent, semantic congruent, and semantic incongruent). We found that congruent targets elicited faster and more accurate responses and reduced N400 amplitudes irrespective of priming category types. The N400 congruency effect (i.e., the difference between incongruity and congruity) started earlier and had greater amplitude for GSA than for LSA. Moreover, gender category priming induced a smaller N400 and a larger P600 than lexical category priming. These findings suggest that the brain is not only sensitive to both stereotype and semantic violation in the post-perceptual processing stage but can also differentiate these two information processes. Further, the findings suggest superior processing (i.e., faster and deeper processing) when the words are associated with social category and convey stereotype knowledge.     

L'effet de l'hétérogénéité sémantique dans la détection de mots

The effects of three semantic factors (semantic priming of the target, semantic distance between the word-target and distractors, and semantic heterogeneity of the target context) on the detection of a word among other words were examined by using the classical paradigm of target detection (varying the number of distractors). Results showed that these three semantic factors affect performance: a target was better detected 1) when primed by its superordinate category than when it was defined as the “odd-one-out”; 2) when the semantic context was homogeneous than heterogeneous; and 3) when it was semantically unrelated to the context than semantically related. These results help specifying the cognitive processing of each word while searching for a word among others.     

Interactive activation in visual word recognition: constraints imposed by the joint effects of spatial attention and semantics

Two lexical-decision experiments investigated the effects of semantic priming and stimulus intensity when target location varied and was cued by an abrupt onset. In Experiment 1, the spatial cue was a good predictor of target location, and in Experiment 2 it was not. The results indicate that word recognition processes were postponed until spatial attention was focused on the target and that whether attention further affected word recognition depended on cue validity. The joint effects of cue validity and priming interacted when cue validity was high but were additive when cue validity was low. The joint effects of stimulus intensity and semantic priming also varied according to cue validity (i.e., interactive when high and additive when low). The results are discussed in terms of their implications for visual word recognition, the distinction between exogenous and endogenous spatial attention, and how attention is affected by visual word recognition processes.     

Reversing the affective congruency effect: The role of target word frequency of occurrence

In this research the outcome of an affective priming experiment is shown to critically depend on the frequency of occurrence of the target words used. Low frequency target words (5.7 occurrences per million words) resulted in an affective congruency effect, i.e., faster responses following affectively congruent than incongruent primes. High frequency target words (32.6 occurrences per million) resulted in a reverse priming effect, i.e., faster responses following incongruent than congruent primes. The size of the congruency effect was larger than the size of the reverse priming effect, thus masking its emergence when word frequency was not taken into account. We propose that target word frequency has its influence via an accessibility-related mechanism having to do with differences in observed changes in affect between prime and target.     

Evaluative priming of naming and semantic categorization responses revisited: a mutual facilitation explanation

The evaluative priming effect (i.e., faster target responses following evaluatively congruent compared with evaluatively incongruent primes) in nonevaluative priming tasks (such as naming or semantic categorization tasks) is considered important for the question of how evaluative connotations are represented in memory. However, the empirical evidence is rather ambiguous: Positive effects as well as null results and negatively signed effects have been found. We tested the assumption that different processes are responsible for these results. In particular, we argue that positive effects are due to target-encoding facilitation (caused by a congruent prime), while negative effects are due to prime-activation maintenance (caused by a congruent target) and subsequent response conflict. In 4 experiments, we used a negative prime-target stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA) to minimize target-encoding facilitation and maximize prime maintenance. In a naming task (Experiment 1), we found a negatively signed evaluative priming effect if prime and target competed for naming responses. In a semantic categorization task (i.e., person vs. animal; Experiments 2 and 3), response conflicts between prime and target were significantly larger in case of evaluative congruence compared with incongruence. These results corroborate the theory that a prime has more potential to interfere with the target response if its activation is maintained by an evaluatively congruent target. Experiment 4a/b indicated valence specificity of the effect. Implications for the memory representation of valence are discussed.