Impact of Calligraphy Style and Color on Comprehension of Importance in Chinese Idiom

Abstract

Abstract: Weight is a metaphor for importance in language. In daily life, People can weigh the object by body, but also can feel the mental weight through vision. In Chinese expressions, calligraphy style and color are important part of visual features for characters. As for the style of calligraphy in Chinese character, the stroke of Northern Wei style is considerable thick, oppositely the stroke of slim style from Zhaoji is extremely thin. Thus, different feelings of weight in mental performance from two calligraphy styles may influence comprehending the abstract concept of importance. As for color in Chinese character, both red and yellow are two of most important color in Chinese culture. These two colors are always linked to significant occasions. Therefore, these two colors causing people to feel the importance of objects or situations may also influence comprehending the concept of importance. This study used empirical researches to explore the effect of Chinese calligraphy style and color on judging the importance of Chinese idioms. The results showed that both calligraphy style and color of character can influence understanding the important meaning of Chinese idioms by making people feel the weight mentally. Furthermore, the empirical data indicated that the source of abstract concept of importance is not only a physical feeling of weight, but also a metal feeling of weight from visual information.

Key words: calligraphy, the metaphor of importance, calligraphy style, color

摘要： 采用语义判断范式考察书法字体和汉字颜色在成语重要性加工中的作用，探查重要性隐喻及其性质。结果表明，魏碑字体激活视觉重感体验，影响对成语重要性的判断；汉字颜色亦影响成语重要性的加工，黄色通过意象图式起作用，红色通过生理唤醒起作用。整个研究表明，重要性概念是多通道整合表征。汉语母语者通过视觉从书法字体和汉字颜色中获得的具身经验和文化经验的激活影响成语的重要性加工，体现了强式具身认知观与弱式具身认知观的统一。

关键词: 字体, 重要性概念, 书法字体, 颜色

CLC Number:

B842.5

SUN Erhong, ZHANG Qirui, ZHANG Jijia. Impact of Calligraphy Style and Color on Comprehension of Importance in Chinese Idiom[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2019, 17(2): 160-169.

孙尔鸿, 张启睿, 张积家. 书法字体与汉字颜色在成语重要性加工中的作用[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2019, 17(2): 160-169.

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