Neurocognitive Developmental Mechanisms Underlying Statistical Learning of Chinese Orthography in Chinese Children: A Longitudinal ERP Study
Funding Scheme
Early Career Scheme (RGC)
Funding Amount
HK$1,002,360
Awarded Year
2019
What is the underlying mechanism by which Chinese children learn Chinese characters?
Chinese characters have statistical properties: an untaught logographeme, or character element, may appear in several characters. Chinese children are sensitive to these properties, a concept known as statistical learning. However, when and where this learning occurs is so far unclear. This study, using event-related potentials (ERP) investigates the role of statistical learning in acquiring Chinese characters over time. We explore the neural signatures and developmental trajectories of how readers learn semantic and phonetic regularities, as well as their predictive effects on later orthographic and reading performance. The study involves 120 Hong Kong first graders over three years, using ERP experiments and various cognitive tasks.
Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. The research team contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Our Researcher(s)
This project addresses several critical unanswered questions about the role of statistical learning in understanding orthographic regularity: (1) What are the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the statistical learning of Chinese orthographic regularities? (2) How does this learning change during reading development? (3) To what extent do neural activities in statistical learning predict children's later orthographic knowledge and reading progress?
This longitudinal study uncovers the neural basis of statistical learning in Chinese word reading, enhancing theoretical understanding and illuminating the developmental trajectories according to which Chinese orthographic regularities are learned, which informs reading curriculum design. The study also reveals how neural activities related to statistical learning connect to orthographic and reading abilities, offering insights for devising improved teaching strategies. Its findings have significant implications for enhancing children's orthographic learning and reading skills.
The study advances Chinese reading models by revealing the neural processes involved in the statistical learning of orthographic regularities and charting the developmental progression of this learning at both behavioural and neural levels, addressing whether statistical learning is age-dependent. Pedagogically, it informs teaching strategies to improve children's orthographic learning and reading abilities. Clinically, it impacts the diagnosis of, and interventions for, reading difficulties by providing insights into the neurocognitive mechanisms of statistical learning, potentially leading to more accurate diagnoses and early interventions based on neural markers. Stakeholders in this research include students, teachers, educators, scholars, and parents.
Selected Publications
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