The Effects of Korean Lexical Characteristics on Memory Span

한국어 어휘특성들이 기억폭에 미치는 효과

The effects of the number of Hangul syllable, the nunber/location of batchim in a Hangul word, and compound/noncompound Hangul word on memory span were examined. The results were that (1) the more syllables a word had, the lower us memory span was, (2) the more batchims a two-syllable word had, the lower its memory span was (Korean batchim effect on memory span), (3) noncompound word had higher memory span than compound word. The reading speed of above mentioned words was measured and the results were that (1) the more syllables a word had, the slower its reading speed was, (2) but the reading speed of a two-syllable word was forest when it had a batchim on second syllable than when it had no batchim or had a batchim on first syllable or batchims on both syllables (Korean ending batchim effect on reading speed), (3) noncompound word was read faster thu compound word. Korean ending batchim effect on reading speed was not compatible with the explanation by articulatory loop bur compatible with the explanation by visual cache where the orthographic information was represented. The results suggest that memory span was influenced nor only by phonological information but also by orthographic information.

한국어 단어의 글자 수, 받침의 수와 위치, 합성어 여부가 기억폭에 미치는 효과를 검증하였다. 그 결과, 전반적으로 글자가 많은 단어일수록 기억폭이 작았으며, 두 글자 단어들에서 받침이 많을수록 기억폭이 더 작았고(기억폭에 대한 받침효과), 합성어보다 단일어의 기억폭이 더 컸다. 단어당 읽기 속도를 측정한 결과, 글자가 많은 단어일수록 속도가 느렸지만, 두 글자 단어들에서 뒷받침단어의 읽기 속도가 받침없는 단어, 앞받침단어 및 양받침단어보다 더 빨랐고(읽기 속도에 대한 말미 받침효과), 합성어보다 단일어의 읽기 속도가 더 빨랐다. 기억폭과 읽기 속도간에 관찰된 이러한 관계는 단어길이효과에 대한 음운루프설명과 잘 부합되지 않으며, 기억폭이 음운정보 뿐만 아니라 시각적 캐시에 표상되는 철자 정보의 영향을 받는다는 설명을 지지해준다.