Wang CX, Lin N, Guo YX. Visual requirement for Chinese reading with normal vision.
Brain Behav 2019;
9:e01216. [PMID:
30793523 PMCID:
PMC6456801 DOI:
10.1002/brb3.1216]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Reading performance has been considered as an effective functional endpoint for low vision. Contrary to many extensive studies for reading performance in English, there are few systematic studies for Chinese reading.
METHODS
In the present study, the reading performance of 30 normally sighted Chinese college students was systematically investigated. All participants passed the equivalent test of Cambridge ESOL PET in China. The reading speeds for Chinese and English text at a variety of text sizes were measured with rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP). The threshold acuities for Chinese characters and English letters were measured. Maximum reading speed, critical font size, and critical acuity reserve were derived according to the individual's reading speed curve.
RESULTS
The maximum reading speed for Chinese characters was 259.5 ± 38.2 characters/min, which was significantly faster than that for English letters (135.7 ± 18.5 words/min, p = 2.8 × 10-18 ). The critical font size for Chinese characters was larger than that for English letters (24.2 ± 2.8 arcmin vs. 20.7 ± 1.0 arcmin, p = 1.6 × 10-7 ). Interestingly, the critical acuity reserve was similar for these two languages (3.4 ± 0.4 for Chinese and 3.4 ± 0.2 for English, p = 0.4).
CONCLUSION
The present study provides the first step for establishing visual functional endpoints for Chinese reading. Our findings pose rigorous constrains on present theories in language information processing and brain plasticity.
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