The Influence of Format Familiarity on the Word Segmentation Effect in Tibetan Reading

To examine the effect of format familiarity on word segmentation in Tibetan reading, this study manipulated both format familiarity and visual cues. An EyeLink 1000Plus eye tracker was used to record the eye movement characteristics of 75 Tibetan college students during Tibetan reading tasks. The results reveal that, under conditions of low format familiarity, inter-word spaces significantly facilitated Tibetan reading; however, this facilitative effect disappeared as format familiarity increased. These findings suggest that, in Tibetan reading, there is a trade-off between format familiarity and the facilitating effect of inter-word spaces.