An investigation of determinants used in deciding fixation positions in reading of Japanese sentences

本研究通过两个实验考察了剧本类型对日语句子阅读的影响，以及决定句子阅读中注视位置的决定因素。实验以不同的笔迹类型为实验变量，记录阅读次数和眼动。实验结果揭示了以下几个方面的结论。有间隔的平假名句子的阅读速度更快，注视次数更少，凝视持续时间比没有间隔的句子短。此外，有间隔句子的单词的第一注视位置比无间隔句子的第一注视位置更接近最佳观看位置。这些结果表明，词与词之间的空格使句法分析变得更容易，并且在阅读平假名句时可以作为判断词的第一注视位置的线索。在汉字-假名混合句的阅读中，间距对阅读时间和眼动测量没有影响。没有间隔的汉字-假名混合句的阅读速度更快，凝视次数更少，凝视持续时间也更短。此外，在汉字-假名混合句的阅读中，汉字字符旁边的汉字字符和/或平假名字符比平假名字符旁边的平假名字符更频繁地被注视。这些结果表明，汉字使句法分析变得更容易，在汉字-假名混合句的阅读中，汉字可以作为引导眼睛的线索。首先，平假名句和汉字-假名混合句的注视位置更接近词的开头，而先前注视的位置则更靠近词的左侧。上述结果表明，日语句子阅读中的注视位置不仅取决于探测单词和汉字之间间隔的低水平视觉加工，而且还取决于先前注视的位置。

In this study, two experiments were conducted to investigate effects of script types on reading of Japanese sentences and determinants used in deciding fixation positions in reading of the sentences. In the experiments, the script types were varied as experimental variables, and reading times and eye movements were recorded. The results of the experiments revealed the followings.1. Spaced hiragana sentences were read faster with fewer fixations and shorter gaze durations than unspaced sentences. In addition, first fixation positions in words of the spaced sentences were closer to the optimal viewing position than those of the unspaced sentences. These results suggested that spaces between words made syntactic parsing easier and were used as cues in deciding the first fixation positions in words in reading of hiragana sentences.2. In reading of kanji-kana mixed sentences, effects of spacing were not found on the reading time and the measures of eye movements. Unspaced kanji-kana mixed sentences were read faster with fewer fixations and shorter gaze durations than unspaced hiragana sentences. In addition, kanji characters and/or hiragana characters next to kanji characters were fixated more frequently than hiragana characters next to hiragana characters in reading of kanji-kana mixed sentences. These results suggested that kanji characters made syntactic parsing easier and were used as cues in guiding the eye in reading of kanji-kana mixed sentences.3. First fixation positions in words of hiragana sentences and of kanji-kana mixed sentences were closer to the beginnings of the words when the locations of prior fixations lay further to the left of the words. These and above mentioned results suggested that the fixation positions in reading of Japanese sentences were determined depending not only on low-level visual processes that detected spaces between words and kanji characters but also on the locations of the prior fixations.