The effect of word spacing size on word segmentation in Tibetan reading: the moderating role of Tibetan proficiency.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have shown that inserting interword spaces facilitates word recognition, reading efficiency, and saccadetarget selection during Tibetan reading. However, the effects of different wordspacing sizes on Tibetan reading remain unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of wordspacing size on word segmentation during Tibetan reading and examined the moderating role of Tibetan proficiency. METHODS: This study adopted a 2 (Tibetan proficiency: high vs. low) × 3 (word spacing size: normal, half-width spaced, full-width spaced) mixed experimental design. A total of 67 students recruited from Xizang University participated in the experiment. An eyeLink 1000 Plus eye tracker was used to record their eye movement data while reading Tibetan sentences presented with different word spacing sizes. RESULTS: The results showed that: (1) interword spacing facilitated Tibetan text reading and lexical recognition, with the facilitative effect increasing as spacing size increased; (2) Tibetan proficiency moderated the spacing effect. Specifically, full-width spaces provided a stronger facilitative effect on lexical recognition for low-proficiency readers. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that increased word spacing benefits Tibetan reading, particularly among readers with lower Tibetan proficiency.