Lecture Review | On June 21, 2023, at the invitation of the Language and Cognitive Science Discipline Innovation and Intelligence Base, Dr. Xingshan Li, a researcher at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, gave an academic presentation to faculty and students of Beijing Language and Culture University. The title of the presentation was "Computational Modeling of Specific Cognitive Mechanisms in Chinese Reading." This presentation was the fifth lecture of the base's "5th Forum on Language Acquisition, Cognition, and Brain Science." The session was chaired by Vice Director Jiang Rong, and nearly sixty faculty and students attended the lecture in person.
The presentation covered the following topics: Firstly, Dr. Xingshan Li provided a brief introduction to foundational concepts of cognitive and mathematical modeling, outlining the basic logic of modeling. Secondly, the focus was on the specific issue of "lack of word spacing in Chinese reading." Two core theoretical hypotheses regarding Chinese reading were proposed: the hypothesis of word segmentation accomplished through word competition and the hypothesis of eye movement landing site selection based on processing. Thirdly, Dr. Li shared the Chinese Reading Model (CRM) developed by her research team and explained its application in simulating the resolution of segmentation ambiguity in Chinese compound words. Finally, Dr. Li introduced the ongoing work of establishing a Chinese reading database and discussed the extensive potential applications of the database in promoting cognitive research and supporting reading education. During the interactive session, due to the keen interest shown by the attending faculty and students, there was active participation, with everyone eagerly asking questions, and Dr. Li provided detailed answers.
Dr. Xingshan Li's presentation was informative and presented in a clear and accessible manner. It deepened the understanding of cognitive modeling among faculty and students, expanded their research perspectives and approaches, and greatly inspired the enthusiasm for research among the attendees.
