| 摘要: | 語言系統的不同層次均有其內在規則和結構，例如中文字形結構多由分布於單字左右兩側的意旁和音旁組成，語句結構則由符合語意和語法規則的字詞組成；個人在閱讀母語文字的無數次經驗中，重複接觸到這些規則，和其所隱含的統計機率資訊，應能依賴可擷取此類內隱規則的視覺統計學習能力，發展、建立閱讀所需的各項基本歷程，因此視覺統計學習能力和閱讀能力這兩種認知功能和其神經機制，彼此間可能有交互影響的密切關係。奠基於以上的理論假設，和本實驗室於中文字詞辨識、語句理解所累積的研究成果，本四年計畫提出十個實驗，以行為派典和腦造影技術所收集的個別差異資料，針對以下議題進行探討：一、發展新視覺統計學習作業，以檢驗對時間和空間位置規則性的敏感度(實驗一)，並釐清這些新作業和過往視覺統計學習作業在本質上的異同(實驗二)；二、以功能性核磁共振造影技術(實驗三)和腦磁波儀(實驗四)找出和"根據統計機率資訊學習視覺訊息中的時間、空間位置規則性"有關的腦區和神經訊號；三、檢驗以拼音文字為母語的受試者(實驗五)和以中文為母語的受試者(實驗六)在"對時間、空間位置規則性的敏感度"上的異同；四、探討"對時間、空間位置規則性的敏感度"對於學習中文(實驗七)和學習法文(實驗八)的個別影響；五、以功能性核磁共振造影技術(實驗九)檢驗"對時間、空間位置規則性的敏感度"和辨識中文字詞時的大腦血氧變化是否相關，並以腦磁波儀(實驗十) 檢驗"對時間、空間位置規則性的敏感度"和閱讀中文語句時的腦磁波反應是否相關。本計畫將發展新視覺統計學習作業，同時是第一個探討不同母語文字閱讀經驗對視覺統計學習能力之影響的研究。來自所提實驗的結果，將澄清視覺統計學習能力是否為一跨範疇、跨刺激材料種類的通用學習機制，或是對於時間、空間位置中的規則性有不同的特定學習機制，也將為視覺統計學習能力和閱讀能力間的交互影響關係提供來自行為和腦神經反應的實徵證據，有助於建立和這些議題相關(包括語言習得)的理論模型。本計畫的成果，不僅將幫助學者更加了解人類的統計學習能力、語言能力，和此兩者在認知功能和生理機制上的密切關聯，亦有助於腦造影技術的發展、應用。這些研究成果未來可應用於教學現場，幫助教授語言的教師和學習語言的學生，配合大腦學習機制設計教材、進行教學活動，對外語處理和學習歷程的理論與教學策略帶來重要啟發。 ;Native readers of specific writing systems presumably rely on their sensitivity to probabilistic information to develop the knowledge of regularities “hidden” in written input after extensive exposure to the countless exemplars during their life spans. Through the approach that investigates the correlation between individual differences in domain-general (nonverbal) and domain-specific (reading) abilities, the present proposal aims to investigate the characteristics and neural correlates of statistical learning in the visual modality (VSL) of positional regularity in the temporal and spatial formats, and its reciprocal relationship with the functioning and acquisition, as well as the neuronal indices of processing efficiency, of reading.Based on previous literature and our own research on Chinese character recognition and sentence comprehension, we propose to conduct ten experiments in a period of four years to investigate the following research questions: First, we develop novel VSL tests of positional regularity in the temporal and spatial formats, and to examine whether they rely on common or distinct mechanisms by measuring its correlation with each other (Exp. 1), and with other kinds of conventional VSL tests (Exp. 2). Second, the neural correlates of VSL of positional regularity in different formats are identified via fMRI (Exp. 3) and via MEG (Exp. 4). Third, we explore whether VSL of positional regularity in the temporal and spatial formats would be modulated by life-long literacy experience of reading alphabetic (Exp. 5) or logographic orthography (Exp. 6). Fourth, we determine whether the measured sensitivity to temporal and spatial positional regularity would have different degrees of correlation with the improvement of Chinese character recognition in native alphabetic readers who learn Chinese as a foreign language (Exp. 7) and with the improvement of French word recognition in native logographic readers who learn French as a foreign language (Exp. 8) after one year of learning time. Fifth, to further support the link between VSL and reading processing/acquisition, and to determine whether VSL in the temporal and spatial formats is particularly related to reading Chinese sentences and characters, respectively, we correlate these two kinds of VSL with brain activation identified in a task that particularly demands the knowledge of OPC of Chinese characters via fMRI (Exp. 9), and with neuromagnetic signals identified in a task that particularly demands the knowledge of semantic and syntactic agreement dependency of Chinese sentences via MEG (Exp. 10).Through the proposed experiments, we will not only generate new understanding of the sub-components of VSL and how they impact literacy processing/acquisition, we will also provide empirical results for the neural bases of such links, which are rarely explored in the literature. In addition, we will conduct the first study to examine whether life-long experience of alphabetic or logographic orthographies would impact VSL of positional regularity in different formats in return. The findings from our research may point to specific directions in structuring reading remediation strategies, as well as individual training procedures for adult learners (e.g., new immigrants), given the characteristics of their native language, and the foreign language they need to master. |
