Chinese Sentence Comprehension: Evidence From Eye-tracking

On the basis of "sentence-picture"paradigm, we used SMI iView Hi-Speed eye-tracker to research the processing of Chinese Sentences, such as affirmative,negative and double negative sentences. Working memory capacity was the between-subject variable. Sentence and picture were within-subjects variables. First, subjects comprehended sentence with different types, then sentence disappeared and a picture was presented in screen. You should try your best to judge the meaning of sentence and picture was same or not. Eye tracker simultaneously recorded subject's eye movement. Third, researcher used BeGaze to synthesize data. Finally, Using MANOVA, we analyzed the data of eye movement in the early and late processing. The results showed that:(1) Syntactic complexity influenced the process of sentences' comprehension and eye movement. For negative sentence, total fixation time and saccde amplitude are shortest. The early and late processing is same in all sentences. There were no significant differences in first pass time, re-reading time, regression-path time, fixation times in the early and late processing of three nouns in all sentences. Syntactic complexity influenced the early and late processing of verb predicate. There are significant differences in eye movement among three verb predicates, such as affirmative and negative, double negative and negative. The differences of eye movement were not significant between affirmative and double negative predicate.(2) Syntactic complexity and semantic consistency affected the process of sentences' comprehension and eye movement. Semantic mismatching significant influenced the verification time of sentence with simple syntax. When subjects verified affirmative sentences, fixation duration and times increased and pupil diameter was largest among all sentences. In verification task, Semantic mismatching significant influenced the comprehension of affirmative sentences. Subjects must increase fixation duration, fixation times and pupil diameter to complete task.(3) Working memory capacity significant influenced the process of sentences' comprehension and eye movement. Verbal working memory capacity influenced the early and late processing of noun and verb verbal. People with high memory capacity reduced first pass time, re-reading time, total fixation time, regression-path time, fixation times to comprehend three nouns and predicates.Visual-spatial working memory capacity influenced the early processing of three nouns, but the effect was not significant in late processing.In verification task, the effect of visual-spatial working memory capacity was significant. People with high memory capacity reduced fixation duration and times to comprehend semantic relation between sentence and picture.(4) In Chinese, there were no significant focus in affirmative > negative and double negative sentences. The process of three nouns can be conducted on-line, rather than delayed.(5) In Chinese, subjects might adopt different strategies to represent sentences. People with high verbal and low visual-spatial capacity might adopt linguistic strategy, while People with high visual-spatial and low verbal capacity might adopt pictorial-spatial strategy. But People with high verbal and high visual-spatial capacity might adopt a mixed strategy to improve the effect of verification task, rather than linguistic strategy or pictorial-spatial strategy.