A Meta-Analysis of Eye Movement Studies on the Effects of Context on Irony Comprehension

doi:10.12139/j.1672-0628.2023.01.005

Abstract

Abstract:

This study used the method of meta-analysis to explore the role of context in the understanding of irony and the relevant moderating factor. Through articles retrieval, 13 valid articles and 16 experimental data were collected, including 806 subjects. The results showed that: 1) The meta-analysis of the correct rate of irony understanding showed that irony was significantly more difficult to understand than literal language and the extra inference process caused by context inconsistency led to the relative difficulty of irony understanding. 2) The target ironic sentences had no difference from the literal sentences in first-pass reading time, while the processing time of irony was significantly longer in regression path reading time and total reading time, which indicated that context worked in the later processing of irony, readers need to reanalyze and integrate in the later processing. This result was in line with the prediction of modular accounts. 3) Familiarity moderated the first-pass reading time and the total reading time of the target region, indicating that the meaning of familiarity was processed first regardless of the intensity of the context, which was consistent with the prediction of the graded salience hypothesis.

Key words: context, irony processing, eye movement, meta-analysis

摘要：

运用元分析的方法考察语境在反语理解中的作用及其相关的调节因素。通过文献检索，共搜集了13篇有效文献，16项实验数据，包含了806名被试。结果发现：(1)在反语理解正确率指标上反语明显比字面语更难理解，语境与目标反语不一致会产生额外推理过程，导致反语理解相对困难。(2)目标区反语和字面语在第一遍阅读时间指标上没有差异，但是在回视路径阅读时间和总阅读时间指标上反语的加工时间显著更长，这表明语境在反语加工的后期产生了作用，读者需要在加工后期对反语进行重新分析和整合，这一结果基本符合模块化理论的预测。(3)熟悉性对目标区的第一遍阅读时间和总阅读时间产生了调节作用，表明不管语境强度如何，熟悉的意义首先被加工，这一结果与分级显著性假设的预测基本一致。

关键词: 语境, 反语加工, 眼动, 元分析

CLC Number:

B842

Hui DING, Zhichao ZHANG, Manman ZHANG, Chuanli ZANG. A Meta-Analysis of Eye Movement Studies on the Effects of Context on Irony Comprehension[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2023, 21(1): 28-35.

丁辉, 张志超, 张慢慢, 臧传丽. 语境影响反语理解的眼动研究元分析[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2023, 21(1): 28-35.

Figures/Tables 6

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研究	语言	被试	项目数	实验设计	理解正确率
苗沂林, 2019	汉语	22	48	2(反语、字面语)×2(认知方式：场独立、场依存)	Y
胥杉, 2020	汉语	44	60	2(反语、非反语)×2(情绪信息：有、无)	Y
Au-Yeung et al., 2015	英语	19	36	2(反语、非反语)×2(典型发育组、孤独症组)	Y
Filik et al., 2018a	英语	40	24	2(反语、非反语)×2(肯定句、否定句)	N
Filik et al., 2018b	英语	48	28	2(反语、非反语)×2(恶意幽默：相关、不相关)	N
Filik et al., 2014	英语	44	44	2(反语、非反语)×2(熟悉性：熟悉、不熟悉)	N
Filik & Moxey, 2010	英语	48	48	2(反语、非反语)×2(量词：肯定、否定)	N
Kaakinen et al., 2014a	芬兰语	51	24	反语×字面语	Y
Kaakinen et al., 2014b	芬兰语	60	24	反语×字面语	Y
Olkoniemi, Johander, & Kaakinen, 2019	芬兰语	62	28	反语×字面语	Y
Olkoniemi et al., 2016	芬兰语	60	20	反语×隐语×字面语	Y
Olkoniemi, Strömberg, & Kaakinen, 2019	芬兰语	60	40	反语×字面语	Y
Țurcan, 2016	英语	64	48	2(反语、非反语)×2(熟悉性：熟悉、不熟悉)	N
Țurcan & Filik, 2016a	英语	64	48	2(反语、非反语)×2(熟悉性：熟悉、不熟悉)	N
Țurcan & Filik, 2016b	英语	64	48	2(反语、非反语)×2(说话人期望：显性、隐性)	N
Țurcan et al., 2020	英语	56	28	2(字面语、反语)×2(语境：字面特征、反语特征)	N

研究	语言	被试	项目数	实验设计	理解正确率
苗沂林, 2019	汉语	22	48	2(反语、字面语)×2(认知方式：场独立、场依存)	Y
胥杉, 2020	汉语	44	60	2(反语、非反语)×2(情绪信息：有、无)	Y
Au-Yeung et al., 2015	英语	19	36	2(反语、非反语)×2(典型发育组、孤独症组)	Y
Filik et al., 2018a	英语	40	24	2(反语、非反语)×2(肯定句、否定句)	N
Filik et al., 2018b	英语	48	28	2(反语、非反语)×2(恶意幽默：相关、不相关)	N
Filik et al., 2014	英语	44	44	2(反语、非反语)×2(熟悉性：熟悉、不熟悉)	N
Filik & Moxey, 2010	英语	48	48	2(反语、非反语)×2(量词：肯定、否定)	N
Kaakinen et al., 2014a	芬兰语	51	24	反语×字面语	Y
Kaakinen et al., 2014b	芬兰语	60	24	反语×字面语	Y
Olkoniemi, Johander, & Kaakinen, 2019	芬兰语	62	28	反语×字面语	Y
Olkoniemi et al., 2016	芬兰语	60	20	反语×隐语×字面语	Y
Olkoniemi, Strömberg, & Kaakinen, 2019	芬兰语	60	40	反语×字面语	Y
Țurcan, 2016	英语	64	48	2(反语、非反语)×2(熟悉性：熟悉、不熟悉)	N
Țurcan & Filik, 2016a	英语	64	48	2(反语、非反语)×2(熟悉性：熟悉、不熟悉)	N
Țurcan & Filik, 2016b	英语	64	48	2(反语、非反语)×2(说话人期望：显性、隐性)	N
Țurcan et al., 2020	英语	56	28	2(字面语、反语)×2(语境：字面特征、反语特征)	N

眼动指标	异质性			Tau-squared
眼动指标	Q	df (Q)	I²	Tau-squared	Tau
目标区第一遍阅读时间	26.02	17	35%	0.02	0.15
目标区回视路径阅读时间	19.11	14	27%	0.16	0.13
目标区总阅读时间	27.62	18	35%	0.02	0.15
溢出区第一遍阅读时间	42.19^***	18	57%	0.06	0.24
溢出区回视路径阅读时间	57.88^***	13	78%	0.16	0.40
溢出区总阅读时间	59.59^***	15	75%	0.15	0.37
反语理解的正确率	41.86^***	7	83%	0.26	0.51

眼动指标	异质性			Tau-squared
眼动指标	Q	df (Q)	I²	Tau-squared	Tau
目标区第一遍阅读时间	26.02	17	35%	0.02	0.15
目标区回视路径阅读时间	19.11	14	27%	0.16	0.13
目标区总阅读时间	27.62	18	35%	0.02	0.15
溢出区第一遍阅读时间	42.19^***	18	57%	0.06	0.24
溢出区回视路径阅读时间	57.88^***	13	78%	0.16	0.40
溢出区总阅读时间	59.59^***	15	75%	0.15	0.37
反语理解的正确率	41.86^***	7	83%	0.26	0.51

眼动指标	k	N	d	95%CI
目标区第一遍阅读时间	18	755	0.12	[−0.00, 0.23]
目标区回视路径阅读时间	15	573	0.17^**	[0.06, 0.27]
目标区总阅读时间	19	806	0.19^***	[0.08, 0.31]
溢出区第一遍阅读时间	19	806	0.15^*	[0.01, 0.29]
溢出区回视路径阅读时间	14	509	0.31^*	[0.07, 0.55]
溢出区总阅读时间	16	622	0.26^*	[0.06, 0.46]
反语理解的正确率	8	356	−0.80^***	[−1.20, −0.41]