文章中的因果架構對中文兒童閱讀理解表徵層次的影響

The Effects of Causal Structure on Levels of Representation for Chinese Children's Narrative Comprehension

本研究旨在探討因果架構對中文閱讀理解表徵的影響，進一步細分並檢驗其影響的表徵層次，以及這些因素受到發展的影響。實驗一分別抽取四、六年級各32名學生，讓學生閱讀研究者根據因果關係操弄而編成的階層版與序列版兩種因果架構文章，學生依據所形成的表徵來回答之後包含文本表徵與情境模式的閱讀理解測驗題。實驗二採取相同的實驗程序和人數，但改以包含特定寓意的文章作為操弄因果架構的材料，以期有利於形成較佳的情境模式。結果發現：第一、兩個實驗都證實因果架構對中文讀者閱讀表徵有影響，此說明了因果架構對中文理解的重要性。第二、兩個實驗的結果指出，階層版的因果架構有助於文本表徵的層次，這可能是因為它能使讀者較容易整合文章中的事件以幫助記憶，故有利於文本表徵的層次。同時也發現，階層版因果架構只有在包含特定意涵的文章中才有助於情境模式的層次，推測可能是因為閱讀這樣的文章較易激發讀者相關的背景知識和組織訊息，故能有利於情境模式的層次。第三、兩個實驗所觀察到的發展組型指出，四、六年級在文本表徵的表現上並無差異，但六年級在情境模式的表現上優於四年級。我們推論六年級可能在閱讀能力上具有較為純孰的整體性推論技能，使得他們得以整合文章各種訊息並且建立適當的情境模式。

We tested whether causal structures of text affected Chinese readers and further examined this effect on two levels of representation for 4th & 6th grade students. Structures of texts were manipulated to create a hierarchical version in which all story episodes were organized by a major common goal and a sequential version in which each story episode was served by a distinctive goal. Experiment 1 revealed that hierarchical texts benefit Chinese readers than sequential versions for text-based representation but not for situation models. Experiment 2, using more authentic stories which carry clear moral, indicated that hierarchical stories benefit students for both levels of representation whereas the effect of grade appears for situation models only but not for text-based representation. Older readers did not differ from younger readers in text-based representation but performed better in situation models across two experiments. Causal structures of text are important for Chinese narrative comprehension and it depends on types of representation measured and student's grade level.