透過台灣手語像似性來瞭解手部動作的意義

Understanding the Meaning of the Hand Movements through the Iconicity of Taiwan Sign Language

本研究主要在探討體現經驗與語言知識，如何對像似性手語動作中的理解與產生造成影響，藉此瞭解人們是如何理解手語動作之意義。在實驗一，手語生手對於手語專家分類的高低像似性手語作像似性程度的評分，結果顯示兩者之間有顯著的共通性；實驗二中，操弄手語像似性程度（高、低），要求手語生手對每一個手語之五種可能意義作排序，並對各選項排序作信心評分，結果發現專家評為高像似性的手語，確實較易被手語生手選出正確意義，而理解低像似性手語時，會傾向運用語意類別來幫助意義的猜測；實驗三中，除了操弄像似性程度與五種可能意義外，再加上像似性表徵特性（操作為主、視覺為主），結果發現在高像似性手語中，操作表徵特性與視覺表徵特性對於正確意義的猜測同等重要，但操作為主的手語較能容許不同語意類別的可能意義；實驗四中，手語生手須對具體名詞圖片產生一個對應的手勢動作，並記錄圖片開始呈現至手指釋放按鍵以產生手勢動作的反應時間，結果顯示手語生手對於操作為主且高像似性圖片可較快產生合適的手勢。本研究結果顯示體現經驗對動作理解扮演著重要的角色，而語言知識的角色較不重要。

We investigated the influences of embodied experiences and language-dependent knowledge on comprehending the iconic signs of Taiwan Sign Language (TSL), and the method of judging the possible meanings of iconic signs by naïve signers. In Experiment 1, we manipulated the degree of iconicity categorized by TSL experts and asked naïve signers to do a subjective iconicity rating task. The results showed similar judgments of iconicity degree between experts and naïve signers. In Experiment 2, iconicity was investigated by a 5-possible-meaning ranking task and a confidence rating task for each meaning. These results revealed that the meanings of the high iconic (HI) signs are easier to correctly determine, and the ranking performance of low iconic (LI) signs is influenced by the semantic categories. In Experiment 3, we accessed the representations of iconicity (manipulation-based/M, vision-based/V). While correctly ranking HI meaning, naïve signers can tolerate meanings from different semantic categories when viewing the M signs. In Experiment 4, naïve signers were asked to do picture gesturing of concrete nouns and the time from the onset of the picture to the release of the button was analyzed. The data suggested that manipulation-based and HI pictures are faster to gesture than others. Drawn from these observations, we demonstrated that the degree and the representations of iconicity in TSL can cross culture boundaries. Our bodily experience plays a prominent role in comprehending gestures.