本研究旨在探討成人對於名詞和動詞字詞定義之反應。40位大專以上教育程度的健康成人參與本研究，依照年齡分為年輕組(21至30歲)與老年組(65歲以上)，透過包含9個具體名詞和9個具體動詞之自編材料、以一對一方式進行訪談及資料蒐集。
本研究運用次數分配、獨立樣本平均數t考驗及相依樣本平均數t考驗，以瞭解成人字詞定義反應型態、不同階段字詞定義反應差異、不同詞性上位詞彙出現情況及定義時難易之情形。結果顯示，在定義內容方面，定義名詞時，兩組均以「使用/功能」的定義型態居多，定義動詞時，則兩組多使用「解釋」之定義型態；另在定義形式方面，定義名詞時，年輕組多使用「亞里斯多德式」形式、老年組多使用「部分亞里斯多德」之形式；而定義動詞時，則兩組絕大部分是使用「部分亞里斯多德」之定義形式。
此外，定義內容與定義形式間具高度相關，表示在內容上為好的定義，在形式上亦同樣會是不錯的定義；另老年組無論是在定義內容或定義形式方面，表現得均與年輕組一樣好，顯示健康的老年人擁有正常之語意功能。研究同時發現，名詞除了比動詞更容易出現上位/類別名稱外，定義時亦比動詞來得容易。

This study discussed word definition of nouns and verbs in adults. The participants of the study were 40 healthy adults with college or university diploma, and in two groups of young (with ages ranging from 21 to 30 years) and advanced ages(above 65). The self-developed material comprising nine concrete nouns and nine concrete verbs was used and paid people a visit individually for data collection.
The data were analyzed with frequency distribution, t-test of independent samples, and t-test of dependent samples, in order to realize the definitional responses of adults, the differences between groups, the superordinational frequency and difficulties in different word category. Results showed the use/function was the most common form of noun definition and the explanation response was the most frequent type of verb definition among these adults in definitional content. About definitional form, the most of younger adults formulated definitions in an Aristotelian form and the elder did in a Partial Aristotelian form on noun definition. A Partial Aristotelian form used for the most people on verb definition.
Besides, significant relation between content and form, indicating that a good definition on a semantic perspective is also good on a pragmatic perspective. The older adults perform as well as younger both definitional content and form, indicating that healthy elderly individuals have normal semantic functioning. On the other hand, these people produced greater proportions of superordinates for nouns than verbs. Furthermore, nouns were more easily defined than verbs .

中文摘要………………………………………………………… i
英文摘要………………………………………………………… ii
目次........………………………………………………… iii
表次……………………………………………………………… v
圖次……………………………………………………………… vi

第一章 緒論……………………………………………. 1
第一節 研究動機……………………………………… 1
第二節 研究目的與待答問題………………………… 4
第三節 名詞釋義……………………………………… 5
第二章 文獻探討……………………….……………… 7
第一節 字詞定義之本質……………………………… 7
第二節 字詞定義能力之發展………………………… 11
第三節 字詞定義反應之型態………………………… 15
第四節 名詞和動詞之語意組織……………………… 20
第五節 影響字詞定義之相關因素…………………… 23
第三章 研究方法……………………………………… 30
第一節 研究架構……………………………………… 30
第二節 研究對象……………………………………… 31
第三節 研究工具……………………………………… 32
第四節 資料處理……………………………………… 44
第四章 研究結果與討論 .…………………………… 45
第一節 成人名詞和動詞字詞定義反應之型態.…… 45
第二節 不同年齡階段其字詞定義反應之探討……… 53
第三節 名詞和動詞定義時上位出現之情形………… 55
第四節 名詞和動詞定義時其難易之情形…………… 56
第五章 結論與建議…………………………………… 58
第一節 研究結論……………………………………… 58
第二節 研究限制……………………………………… 62
第三節 研究建議……………………………………… 63

參考文獻………………………………………………… 65
中文文獻………………………………………… 65
英文文獻………………………………………… 67

附錄一 詞彙熟悉度檢視表…………………………………… 72
附錄二 定義內容計分紙……………………………………… 75
附錄三 定義形式計分紙……………………………………… 76
附錄四 刺激詞彙可接受之答案……………………………… 77

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