本研究旨在以雙耳分聽(dichotic listening paradigm)探討成人及孩童中文聲調(Mandarin lexical tone)之腦側化現象。在人類腦部結構模式中，左右腦司掌不同能力，然而，腦部如何處理語言聲調存有許多爭議。其背後因素為，聲調具有區分詞義的功能，是一種語言資訊，應由左腦進行處理；又，聲調之基頻(F0)信號應由右腦掌控。目前兩種主流學說看法分歧：功能學說(the functional hypothesis)認為聲調具備強烈語言性功能，由左半腦處理；聲學學說(the acoustic hypothesis)則主張不管其功能，凡物理聲學存有基頻(F0)或音高頻率(pitch frequency)信號特性由右半腦處理。迄今大部分研究結果支持功能學說，也就是說腦部藉由聲音訊息之功能而分化處理該聲音。但，目前卻沒有研究深入具體明確指出到底觸發左腦來處理聲調的強烈語言性功能源自為何，是否為聲調本身之區辨詞彙和語法意義之語言功能促發左大腦半球處理聲調？亦或由其他因素促發？本研究之實驗操弄中文真字、假字(無詞義區辨功能)、非字(無詞義區辨功能且不符中文音節結構規則)三種刺激詞類進行聲調辨識研究。而腦部語言側化發展又由年紀、語言使用時間、語言熟練度的不同有所差異，考量這些因素，本研究納入成人及孩童不同年紀族群來探討。實驗方法採用雙耳分聽設計，分為非強迫偏向(the non-forced condition)和強迫偏向(the forced condition)兩種實驗法。本研究之非強迫偏向實驗沒有得到任何顯著結果，可能原因與干擾變項在內文討論分析，並且在強迫偏向實驗加以控制。而在強迫偏向實驗中，其分析結果發現聲調辨識在中文真字、假字、非字均有顯著右耳優勢效應(right ear advantage)，即代表三種刺激詞類均有左腦側化之傾向；事後配對t 檢定顯示中文真字和假字聲調辨識之左腦側化度明顯比非字高，真字和假字之聲調左腦側化度無顯著差別。綜合以上結果得知：聲調本身之詞彙語義區辨功能沒有促發左大腦半球處理聲調的效力，而中文音節結構規則的符合與否對於中文聲調辨識之側化度明顯產生影響。在成人及孩童的聲調辨識之左腦側化，則無顯著差異。

The functional hypothesis argues that lexical tone is lateralized in the left hemisphere because it carries a heavy linguistic load. Eight-year old child and 25-year old adult native speakers of Mandarin Chinese were studied with the dichotic listening tests as a measure of lexical tone lateralization. Two questions were asked: if lexical tone is disassociated from its linguistic function in defining word meaning, does it become a sound with less linguistic load and thus tend to be processed in the right hemisphere? Does the degree of laterality in lexical tone perception differ with age? The first experiment employing the dichotic listening task in the non-forced condition failed to answer the questions owing to some confounding variables. Controlled for these variables, the forced-right and –left conditions were further conducted to pursue the two issues in question. The results obtained revealed a REA effect for lexical tone with and without its linguistic function in defining word meaning, suggesting the linguistic load of lexical tone for left hemispheric lateralization were not generated by the lexical tone’s linguistic function to contrast word meaning. Familiarity with syllabic structure was found to have more effect on the REA effect. Age difference did not show any significant difference in the degree of laterality for lexical tone perception. It was concluded that the linguistic load of lexical tone for left hemispheric lateralization could come from the syllable it attaches to and the lateralization of lexical tone did not increase with age.

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