Does Net-Speak Experience Affect Semantic Processing of Standard Words? Evidence from Semantic Decisions of Chinese...

A semantic decision task and semantic conflict paradigm were employed to explore how individuals with different levels of net-speak experiences processed Chinese dual semantic net-speak words. The results showed that, (1) At the lexical level, the ACC of the high-experience group was higher than that of the low-experience group for net-speak semantic images. There was no significant difference for the ACC in the high-experience group between net-speak and standard semantic images, but both were significantly higher than irrelevant images. For all participants, the RT for standard semantic, net-speak, and irrelevant images increased significantly in that order. For the low-experience group, the ACC for these three image types decreased significantly in the same order. (2) At the sentence level, the high-experience group demonstrated a higher ACC for net-speak and control sentences than the low-experience group, with no significant differences in ACC or RT for standard semantic sentences. For the high-experience group, the ACC for net-speak semantic sentences was lower than that for corresponding and control sentences. However, there was no significant difference in the ACC and RT for standard semantic sentences. For the low-experience group, the ACC for net-speak sentences was significantly lower than that for standard semantics, corresponding, and control sentences, respectively. Their RT for net-speak semantic sentences was significantly longer than for corresponding sentences, but not significantly different between standard or control sentences. These results suggest that, for Chinese college students with high net-speak experience, the net-speak semantics of Chinese dual semantic net-speak words did not undermine their standard semantics status. Net-speak experience does not interfere with the semantic processing of standard words.