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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks

Published on: September 5, 2019

Word complexity modulates the divided-word effect during Chinese reading.

Mingzhe Zhang¹, Xuejun Bai^1,2, Sainan Li¹

¹Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China.

Frontiers in Psychology

|October 10, 2022

Summary

Dividing words across lines significantly slows reading speed, especially for simpler words. This divided-word effect indicates line breaks interfere with efficient word processing.

Keywords:

Chinese reading divided-word effect eye movements stroke number word complexity

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Last Updated: Aug 26, 2025

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Published on: September 5, 2019

Comparing the Frequency Effect Between the Lexical Decision and Naming Tasks in Chinese

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Reading Science
Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

The divided-word effect describes how breaking words across lines impacts reading.
Understanding factors influencing this effect is crucial for optimizing text presentation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how word complexity influences the divided-word effect.
To analyze the impact of different presentation conditions on reading times.

Main Methods:

Manipulating presentation conditions: line-final, divided-word, and line-initial.
Varying visual complexity: high and low.
Measuring reading times: gaze duration and total reading time.

Main Results:

A significant divided-word effect was observed, with longer reading times in divided-word conditions.
The divided-word effect was more pronounced for low-complexity words compared to high-complexity words.

Conclusions:

Dividing words across lines demonstrably hinders reading.
Word complexity plays a moderating role in the divided-word effect, impacting reading efficiency.