Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine word recognition processes for logographic Kanji and Kana. Words were printed in written common Kanji jukugo (two-Kanji-compound word) and transcribed in Kana. Two experiments investigated effects of orthographic difference between Kanji and Kana. It was tested whether or not the naming latencies and lexical decision time for Kanji is different with that for Kana. In the first experiment, the naming latencies for Kanji were longer than those for Kana. Specifically, the naming latencies for 2+1 syllable (HAKU) Kanji was more facilitated than those of 1+1 syllable (HAKU) Kanji. The second experiment was enforced to clarify the lexical process by using the lexical decision task. The lexical decision time for Kanji was faster than that for Kana. The lexical decision time of 2+1 syllable (HAKU) Kanji was also more facilitated than those of 1+1 syllable (HAKU) Kanji. The data suggest that the reading of Kanji jukugo is meadiated by a lexical process as well as by a phonological process centering on the first Kanji.
