Effects of script type on a word-referents comparison task in the Japanese writing system

Abstract

To examine the relationship between script type and the higher-order cognitive process, which relates to word-referent activation of the printed word, subjects carried out a word-referents comparison task in Experiment 1. Pairs of two concrete words, such as dog and tiger, written in either Kanji or Kana, were presented to subjects and they were asked to make size comparisons of the word-referents as fast and as accurately as possible. Pairs of pictures were also presented and subjects made a comparison with the life-size objects. They made significantly faster responses when the word pair was written in Kanji than when it was written in Kana script. The response speed in the Kanji words condition was slower than in the picture condition. In Experiment 2, to identify the characteristics of a word-referents comparison task, subjects made a semantic categorization of the identical word stimuli used in Experiment 1. Results showed no prominent response speed difference between Kanji and Kana word conditions. Based on the findings, script type effect of non-alphabetical script on problem-solving tasks is discussed.