本論文進行兩個眼動實驗，探討語境及多義特性在一詞多義處理歷程中扮演的角色。Frazier與Rayner(1990)認為一詞多義由於詞義間有重疊的語義屬性(sense overlap)，因此處理詞義之初，會先以部分語義(partial specification)來理解，不需立即進行完整詞義的解讀，支持部分語義解讀假設(Immediate Partial Interpretation Hypothesis)。在Frisson 與Pickering(2001)所提出詞義未定模型(Underspecification Model)中，進一步說明語境在一詞多義中扮演的角色，認為一詞多義的語義提取會先以未定意義(underspecified meaning)解釋，在語義提取完畢後，語境才會介入詞義的選擇。本論文操弄語境導引和詞義重疊性，來探討一詞多義的詞義提取與選擇歷程。實驗一操弄句子中目標詞的語境預測力(可預測語境vs.不可預測語境)與詞義數量(單詞義vs.多詞義)，記錄並分析目標詞與目標詞後區域的凝視時間。結果顯示：目標詞上的凝視時間多詞義顯著短於單詞義，支持部分語義解讀假設。然而，實驗一在目標詞後區域並未看到多詞義因延遲語義解讀(delayed semantic commitments)而造成抑制或競爭效果。實驗二就此現象與「一詞多義本身的詞義重疊程度」與「語境對一詞多義有無發生語義解讀的必要性」進行進一步探討。實驗二(同實驗一)操弄目標詞的語境預測力，與詞義的重疊程度(單義詞vs.中度詞義重疊vs.高度詞義重疊)，並控制語境偏向次要詞義的情形。結果顯示：目標詞上的晚期眼動指標在中度詞義重疊(中vs.單)與高度詞義重疊(高vs.單)皆看到與語境預測力發生交互作用，顯示語境預測力的影響在晚期階段發生；目標詞後區域觀察到中度與高度詞義重疊(中vs.單；高vs.單)皆在不可預測語境下發生詞義抑制效果，符合詞義未定模型預期之延遲語義解讀效果，並在目標詞晚期眼動指標看到中度詞義重疊效果與高度詞義重疊效果(單-中 vs. 單-高)受語境影響有不同的效果，顯示詞義重疊會影響詞義選擇的必要性。總結本論文的結果：首先，一詞多義的語義提取符合部分語義解讀的假設，而語境介入的影響支持詞義未定模型的看法，即語境在語義提取之初並未介入影響，在語義未定的情況下，若語境內容有進行語義解讀之必要時，則會發生延遲語義解讀。其次，詞義的促進效果與一詞多義的詞義數量多寡有關，詞義數量減少時，詞義促進效果也隨之消失。最後，當語境偏向一詞多義的次要詞義時，延遲語義效果才會發生。 / This thesis conducted two eye movement experiments with the aim to investigate the role of context and multi-sense feature in processing polysemy. Frazier and Rayner (1990) suggested that, at the beginning of semantic processing, polysemy is comprehended with partial specification. There is no immediate need to process the complete word sense due to the sense overlap between senses. This viewpoint supports the Immediate Partial Interpretation Hypothesis. In Frisson and Pickering’s (2001) Underspecification Model, further elaboration were made on the role of context in the process of retrieving and selecting one of the word senses of a polysemy. The sense that is first retrieved from a polysemy is considered to be an underspecified meaning. It is after the semantic retrieval is finished that context is involved in selecting a word sense. This thesis manipulated context guidance and sense overlap, to further research on processing polysemy in terms of word sense retrieval and selection. Experiment One manipulated contextual predictability (predictable context vs. unpredictable context) and number of senses (one-sense, monosemy vs. many-sense, polysemy) of the target words in sentences. Fixation times of the target words and post-target areas were recorded and analyzed. Results showed that the fixation times on target words were significantly shorter for polysemy than for monosemy, supporting the Immediate Partial Interpretation Hypothesis. However, in Experiment One, there is no inhibitory or competitive effect on the post-target area, indicating that there is no effect of delayed semantic commitments while comprehending polysemy. In Experiment Two, we further investigated how this phenomenon is connected with the degree of sense overlap and whether context is necessary to activate semantic commitment for polysemy. Contextual predictability of target words and the degree of sense overlap (monosemy vs. moderate-sense-overlap vs. high-sense-overlap) were manipulated, with the former designed as in Experiment One. Specifically, the context was controlled to bias toward the subordinate sense. The results showed that there were interactions of sense overlap degree (both moderate-sense-overlap vs. monosemy and high-sense-overlap vs. monosemy) and contextual predictability on target words for later-stage indices. This suggests that contextual predictability effects at later stages. On the post-target areas, there were inhibitory effects found for moderate-sense-overlap vs. monosemy and for high-sense-overlap when the context is unpredictable. This finding supports the delayed effect of semantic commitments in the Underspecification Model. Moreover, effects of sense overlap (polysemy-moderate vs. polysemy-high) were modulated by contextual predictability on target words for later-stage processing, showing that sense overlap affects the necessity of semantic commitments. In conclusion, the semantic retrieval of polysemy can be best explained by the Immediate Partial Interpretation Hypothesis and the involvement of contextual constraint supports the Underspecification Model. That is, context does not affect the beginning phase of semantic retrieval. Since the senses are underspecified, delayed semantic commitment occurs if it is necessary to make semantic commitment in the context. Furthermore, the facilitation of senses is related to the number of a polysemy’s senses. As number of senses decreases, facilitation of senses wanes and disappears. Finally, delayed semantic commitment occurs only when the context biases towards a subordinate sense of the polysemy.

本論文以語意學、認知語言學及心理語言學的觀點，探討中文名詞的多義現象。本篇論文討論詞彙多重意義的語言及心理語言表徵，並研究詞義如何在心理詞彙庫中被擷取。 文中藉由認知語言學者Tuggy（1993）所提出的認知語意架構，及詞彙語意學中「同形異義詞（homonymy）」、「一詞多義（polysemy）」及「模糊意義（vagueness）」等觀念之區辨，探索詞義之本質。本文所談之意義（sense）根據Ahrens（1999）之定義有以下三個特性：（1）意義非轉喻（metonymy）或部分/全體（meronymy）之延伸，但可以是隱喻性延伸；（2）意義之間的延伸關係無法由在同類名詞中直接以規律獲得；（3）除非特意，一詞的不同意義不會在同一語境中同時出現。 針對詞彙辨識歷程的語意效應，本論文有三大研究主題--意義數目效應、意義相關性效應及相對意義頻率效應。各效應之預測如下：「意義數目效應」認為意義數目較多的詞彙在詞彙判斷作業（lexical decision tasks）中比較容易辨識；「意義相關性效應」認為當一個詞的意義之間的相關性較高時，該詞的辨識時間亦會較快；「相對意義頻率效應」則認為一個詞意義之間頻率差異程度越小，該詞越有歧義之特質，也因此越容易辨識。 本研究旨在以實證方式探討這些語意向度在詞彙辨識歷程中所扮演的角色。由受試者提供200個中文名詞的意義並決定意義間的相關性；進行電腦詞彙判斷作業，得到辨識每個詞所需的反應時間；再由統計考驗反應時間來驗證各效應。 本研究結果發現只有「意義數目效應」達顯著水準，意義數目較多的詞彙在詞彙判斷作業中比較容易辨識。此一效應支持心理詞彙庫的隨機觸接模型（random access model）及平行觸接模型（parallel access model）並駁斥「序列搜尋模型（serial access model）」。 / This thesis studies the multiple senses of Chinese nominals from semantic, cognitive linguistic, and psycholinguistic viewpoints. It discusses the linguistic and psycholinguistic representations of a word's multiple senses, and the access of these senses in the mental lexicon. The nature of lexical meaning is examined by discussing lexical semantic notions such as homonymy, polysemy, and vagueness, and by introducing Tuggy's (1993) cognitive linguistic representation of a word's multiple lexical meanings. The "senses" of a word are defined according to the lexical semantic theory of Ahrens (1999) as having three properties: (1) A sense is not an instance of metonymic or meronymic extension, but may be an instance of metaphorical extension. (2) The extension links between two senses cannot be inherited by a class of nouns. (3) Senses cannot appear in the same context (unless the complexity is triggered). This thesis specifically looks into three semantic effects on word recognition, including the word's number-of-sense (NOS) effect, the effect of sense relatedness, and the effect of relative sense frequency. The predictions of these effects are as follows: The NOS effect predicts that words with more senses are recognized faster than those with fewer senses. The effect of sense relatedness predicts that words with more closely related senses are easier to recognize than those with distantly related senses. The effect of relative sense frequency predicts that words with equal sense frequencies are more easily recognized than words with unequal sense frequencies. This research aims at empirically verifying these three effects during the recognition of isolated lexical items. Subjects generate the senses of 200 Chinese nominals, and rate the relatedness among these senses. Lexical decision tasks are conducted to obtain the reaction times required to recognize each stimulus item. The semantic effects are verified by comparing the reaction times of different groups of experimental stimuli. The experimental results confirm only the NOS effect, giving support to the random and parallel access models of lexical access, and refuting the serial access model of the mental lexicon.