This study investigated comprehension of rapid, serial visual presentations of Chinese text. 10 passages in Chinese were presented as sequences of text segments, ranging from 1 to 13 characters in length, to a fixed location on a computer screen at rates of 230 and 460 characters per min. Subjects were better able to answer questions in slow than in fast display conditions. Comprehension was maximal for display sizes of about nine characters regardless of display rates. Implications for presenting Chinese text in this format are briefly discussed.
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