Dr. TSANG, Yiu Kei



BSSc The Chinese University of Hong Kong
PhD The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Associate Professor, Department of Education Studies
Academic & Professional Experience2018–Present Associate Professor, Department of Education Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University
2012–2018 Assistant Professor, Department of Education Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University
2009 –2012 Instructor I, Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Research InterestsChinese Language Processing;
Language Education;
Morphology;
Cognition and Emotion;
Decision Making
External research GrantsSources General Research Fund, Research Grants Council
Name of the Project Holistic vs decompositional storage of Chinese words: An electrophysiological study
Duration Jan 2018 to Dec2019
Total grant sought HK$ 586,000.00
Team members Tsang Yiu Kei as PI
Sources General Research Fund, Research Grants Council
Name of the Project Tonal processing in the brain: A Cantonese study
Duration 2012 to Dec2013
Total grant sought HK$ 543,269.00
Team members Tsang Yiu Kei as CI; with Chen H.-C. as PI
Internal Research Grants
Sources 3-way Partnership Research Grant, Faculty’s Research Incentives Scheme
Name of the Project Chinese two-character word behavior database
Duration Sept 2015 to Aug2016
Total grant sought HK$199,720.00
Team members Tsang Yiu Kei as PI; with Chen H.-C., Wang S.-P., Huang, J., & Chan Y.-W. as CI
Consultancy/Professional/Community ServicesAd hoc reviewers for the following journals:Bilingualism: Language and Cognition;
Cognition and Emotion;
Developmental Psychology;
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience;
Frontiers in Psychology;
Journal of Research in Reading;
Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience;
PsyCh Journal;
Psychological Reports;
Reading and Writing
Peer-reviewed PublicationsTsang, Y.-K. (in press). Morphonological activation in Chinese word recognition: Evidence from heteronymic characters. The Mental Lexicon.
Zhao, S., Wu, Y., Tsang, Y.-K., Sui, X., & Zhu, Z. (2021). Morpho-semantic analysis of ambiguous morphemes in Chinese compound word recognition: An fMRI study. Neuropsychologia, 157, 107862.
Wu, Y., Duan, R., Zhou, S., &Tsang, Y.-K.(2020). Processing ambiguous morphemes in Chinese compound word recognition: Behavioral and ERP evidence.Neuroscience, 446, 249-260.
Zou, Y., Lui, M., &Tsang, Y.-K.(2020). The roles of lexical tone and rime during Mandarin sentence comprehension: An event-related potential study.Neuropsychologia,147, 107578.
Huang, J.,Tsang, Y.-K.Xiao, W., & Wang, S. (2020). Morphosemantic activation of opaque Chinese words in sentence comprehension.PLOS ONE, 15, e0236697.
Zou, Y.,Tsang, Y. K., & Wu, Y. (2019). Semantic radical activation in Chinese phonogram recognition: Evidence from event-related potential recording.Neuroscience, 417, 24-34.
Gao, F., &Tsang, Y. K.(2019). Parental involvement and participation in university among ethnic Koreans in China. In J. Gube & F. Gao (Eds.),Education, Ethnicity and Inequality in Multilingual Asian Context(pp. 215-233). Singapore: Springer.
Lui, M., So, W. C., &Tsang, Y. K.(2018). Neural evidence for reduced automaticity in processing emotional prosody among men with high levels of autistic traits.Physiology & Behavior,196, 47-58.
Tsang, Y.-K., Huang, J., Lui, M., Xue, M., Chan, Y.-W. F., Wang, S., & Chen, H.-C. (2018). MELD-SCH. A megastudy of lexical decision in simplified Chinese.Behavior Research Methods, 50,1763-1777.
Tsang, Y.-K., Wu, Y., Ng, H. T. Y., & Chen, H.-C. (2017). Semantic activation of phonetic radicals in Chinese.Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, 32, 618-636.
Wu, Y.,Tsang, Y.-K., Wong, A. W.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2017). The processing of homographic morphemes in Chinese: An ERP study.Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, 32, 102-116.
Jia, S.,Tsang, Y.-K., Huang, J., & Chen, H.-C. (2015). Processing Cantonese lexical tones: Evidence from oddball paradigms.Neuroscience, 305, 351-360.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2014). Activation of morphemic meanings in processing opaque words.Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 21,1281-1286.
Tsang, Y.-K., Wong, A. W.-K., Huang, J. & Chen, H.-C. (2014). Morpho-orthographic and morpho-semantic processing in word recognition and production: Evidence from ambiguous morphemes.Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, 29, 543-560.
Jia, S.,Tsang, Y.-K., Huang, J., & Chen, H.-C. (2013). Right hemisphere advantage in processing Cantonese level and contour tones: Evidence from dichotic listening.Neuroscience Letters, 556, 135-139.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2013). Morpho-semantic processing in word recognition: Evidence from balanced and biased ambiguous morphemes.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 39, 1990-2001.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2013). Early morphological processing is sensitive to morphemic meanings: Evidence from processing ambiguous morphemes.Journal of Memory and Language, 68, 223-239.
Tsang, Y.-K.,& Chen, H.-C. (2012). Eye movement control in reading: Logographic Chinese versus alphabetic scripts.PsyCh Journal,1, 128-142.
Wu, Y., Mo, D.,Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2012). ERPs reveal sub-lexical processing in Chinese character recognition.Neuroscience Letters, 514, 164-168.
Tsang, Y.-K., Jia, S., Huang, J., & Chen, H.-C. (2011). ERP correlates of pre-attentive processing of Cantonese lexical tones: The effects of pitch contour and pitch height.Neuroscience Letters, 487, 268-272.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2010). Morphemic ambiguity resolution in Chinese: Activation of the subordinate meaning with a prior dominant-biased context.Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 17,875-881.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2009). Do position-general radicals have a role to play in processing Chinese characters?Language and Cognitive Processes, 24,947-966.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2008). Eye movements in reading Chinese. In K. Rayner, D. Shen, X., Bai, & G. Yan (Eds).Cognitive and cultural influences on eye movements, pp. 235-254. Tianjin People’s Press.

BSSc The Chinese University of Hong Kong
PhD The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Associate Professor, Department of Education Studies
Academic & Professional Experience2018–Present Associate Professor, Department of Education Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University
2012–2018 Assistant Professor, Department of Education Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University
2009 –2012 Instructor I, Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Research InterestsChinese Language Processing;
Language Education;
Morphology;
Cognition and Emotion;
Decision Making
External research Grants



Sources General Research Fund, Research Grants Council
Name of the Project Holistic vs decompositional storage of Chinese words: An electrophysiological study
Duration Jan 2018 to Dec2019
Total grant sought HK$ 586,000.00
Team members Tsang Yiu Kei as PI
Sources 3-way Partnership Research Grant, Faculty’s Research Incentives Scheme
Name of the Project Chinese two-character word behavior database
Duration Sept 2015 to Aug2016
Total grant sought HK$199,720.00
Team members Tsang Yiu Kei as PI; with Chen H.-C., Wang S.-P., Huang, J., & Chan Y.-W. as CI
Sources General Research Fund, Research Grants Council
Name of the Project Tonal processing in the brain: A Cantonese study
Duration 2012 to Dec2013
Total grant sought HK$ 543,269.00
Team members Tsang Yiu Kei as CI; with Chen H.-C. as PI
Consultancy/Professional/Community ServicesAd hoc reviewers for the following journals:Bilingualism: Language and Cognition;
Cognition and Emotion;
Developmental Psychology;
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience;
Frontiers in Psychology;
Journal of Research in Reading;
Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience;
PsyCh Journal;
Psychological Reports;
Reading and Writing
Selected PublicationsWu, Y., Duan, R., Zhou, S., &Tsang, Y.-K.(in press). Processing ambiguous morphemes in Chinese compound word recognition: Behavioral and ERP evidence.Neuroscience
Zou, Y., Lui, M., &Tsang, Y.-K.(in press). The roles of lexical tone and rime during Mandarin sentence comprehension: An event-related potential study.Neuropsychologia.
Huang, J.,Tsang, Y.-K.Xiao, W., & Wang, S. (in press). Morphosemantic activation of opaque Chinese words in sentence comprehension.PLOS ONE.
Zou, Y.,Tsang, Y. K., & Wu, Y. (2019). Semantic radical activation in Chinese phonogram recognition: Evidence from event-related potential recording.Neuroscience, 417, 24-34.
Gao, F., &Tsang, Y. K.(2019). Parental involvement and participation in university among ethnic Koreans in China. In J. Gube & F. Gao (Eds.),Education, Ethnicity and Inequality in Multilingual Asian Context(pp. 215-233). Singapore: Springer.
Lui, M., So, W. C., &Tsang, Y. K.(2018). Neural evidence for reduced automaticity in processing emotional prosody among men with high levels of autistic traits.Physiology & Behavior,196, 47-58.
Tsang, Y.-K., Huang, J., Lui, M., Xue, M., Chan, Y.-W. F., Wang, S., & Chen, H.-C. (2018). MELD-SCH. A megastudy of lexical decision in simplified Chinese.Behavior Research Methods, 50,1763-1777.
Tsang, Y.-K., Wu, Y., Ng, H. T. Y., & Chen, H.-C. (2017). Semantic activation of phonetic radicals in Chinese.Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, 32, 618-636.
Wu, Y.,Tsang, Y.-K., Wong, A. W.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2017). The processing of homographic morphemes in Chinese: An ERP study.Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, 32, 102-116.
Jia, S.,Tsang, Y.-K., Huang, J., & Chen, H.-C. (2015). Processing Cantonese lexical tones: Evidence from oddball paradigms.Neuroscience, 305, 351-360.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2014). Activation of morphemic meanings in processing opaque words.Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 21,1281-1286.
Tsang, Y.-K., Wong, A. W.-K., Huang, J. & Chen, H.-C. (2014). Morpho-orthographic and morpho-semantic processing in word recognition and production: Evidence from ambiguous morphemes.Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, 29, 543-560.
Jia, S.,Tsang, Y.-K., Huang, J., & Chen, H.-C. (2013). Right hemisphere advantage in processing Cantonese level and contour tones: Evidence from dichotic listening.Neuroscience Letters, 556, 135-139.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2013). Morpho-semantic processing in word recognition: Evidence from balanced and biased ambiguous morphemes.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 39, 1990-2001.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2013). Early morphological processing is sensitive to morphemic meanings: Evidence from processing ambiguous morphemes.Journal of Memory and Language, 68, 223-239.
Tsang, Y.-K.,& Chen, H.-C. (2012). Eye movement control in reading: Logographic Chinese versus alphabetic scripts.PsyCh Journal,1, 128-142.
Wu, Y., Mo, D.,Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2012). ERPs reveal sub-lexical processing in Chinese character recognition.Neuroscience Letters, 514, 164-168.
Tsang, Y.-K., Jia, S., Huang, J., & Chen, H.-C. (2011). ERP correlates of pre-attentive processing of Cantonese lexical tones: The effects of pitch contour and pitch height.Neuroscience Letters, 487, 268-272.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2010). Morphemic ambiguity resolution in Chinese: Activation of the subordinate meaning with a prior dominant-biased context.Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 17,875-881.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2009). Do position-general radicals have a role to play in processing Chinese characters?Language and Cognitive Processes, 24,947-966.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2008). Eye movements in reading Chinese. In K. Rayner, D. Shen, X., Bai, & G. Yan (Eds).Cognitive and cultural influences on eye movements, pp. 235-254. Tianjin People’s Press.

BSSc The Chinese University of Hong Kong
PhD The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Associate Professor, Department of Education Studies
Academic & Professional Experience2018–Present Associate Professor, Department of Education Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University
2012–2018 Assistant Professor, Department of Education Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University
2009 –2012 Instructor I, Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Research InterestsChinese Language Processing;
Language Education;
Morphology;
Cognition and Emotion;
Decision Making
External research Grants



Sources General Research Fund, Research Grants Council
Name of the Project Holistic vs decompositional storage of Chinese words: An electrophysiological study
Duration Jan 2018 to Dec2019
Total grant sought HK$ 586,000.00
Team members Tsang Yiu Kei as PI
Sources 3-way Partnership Research Grant, Faculty’s Research Incentives Scheme
Name of the Project Chinese two-character word behavior database
Duration Sept 2015 to Aug2016
Total grant sought HK$199,720.00
Team members Tsang Yiu Kei as PI; with Chen H.-C., Wang S.-P., Huang, J., & Chan Y.-W. as CI
Sources General Research Fund, Research Grants Council
Name of the Project Tonal processing in the brain: A Cantonese study
Duration 2012 to Dec2013
Total grant sought HK$ 543,269.00
Team members Tsang Yiu Kei as CI; with Chen H.-C. as PI
Consultancy/Professional/Community ServicesAd hoc reviewers for the following journals:Bilingualism: Language and Cognition;
Cognition and Emotion;
Developmental Psychology;
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience;
Frontiers in Psychology;
Journal of Research in Reading;
Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience;
PsyCh Journal;
Psychological Reports;
Reading and Writing
Selected PublicationsWu, Y., Duan, R., Zhou, S., &Tsang, Y.-K.(in press). Processing ambiguous morphemes in Chinese compound word recognition: Behavioral and ERP evidence.Neuroscience
Zou, Y., Lui, M., &Tsang, Y.-K.(in press). The roles of lexical tone and rime during Mandarin sentence comprehension: An event-related potential study.Neuropsychologia.
Huang, J.,Tsang, Y.-K.Xiao, W., & Wang, S. (in press). Morphosemantic activation of opaque Chinese words in sentence comprehension.PLOS ONE.
Zou, Y.,Tsang, Y. K., & Wu, Y. (2019). Semantic radical activation in Chinese phonogram recognition: Evidence from event-related potential recording.Neuroscience, 417, 24-34.
Gao, F., &Tsang, Y. K.(2019). Parental involvement and participation in university among ethnic Koreans in China. In J. Gube & F. Gao (Eds.),Education, Ethnicity and Inequality in Multilingual Asian Context(pp. 215-233). Singapore: Springer.
Lui, M., So, W. C., &Tsang, Y. K.(2018). Neural evidence for reduced automaticity in processing emotional prosody among men with high levels of autistic traits.Physiology & Behavior,196, 47-58.
Tsang, Y.-K., Huang, J., Lui, M., Xue, M., Chan, Y.-W. F., Wang, S., & Chen, H.-C. (2018). MELD-SCH. A megastudy of lexical decision in simplified Chinese.Behavior Research Methods, 50,1763-1777.
Tsang, Y.-K., Wu, Y., Ng, H. T. Y., & Chen, H.-C. (2017). Semantic activation of phonetic radicals in Chinese.Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, 32, 618-636.
Wu, Y.,Tsang, Y.-K., Wong, A. W.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2017). The processing of homographic morphemes in Chinese: An ERP study.Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, 32, 102-116.
Jia, S.,Tsang, Y.-K., Huang, J., & Chen, H.-C. (2015). Processing Cantonese lexical tones: Evidence from oddball paradigms.Neuroscience, 305, 351-360.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2014). Activation of morphemic meanings in processing opaque words.Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 21,1281-1286.
Tsang, Y.-K., Wong, A. W.-K., Huang, J. & Chen, H.-C. (2014). Morpho-orthographic and morpho-semantic processing in word recognition and production: Evidence from ambiguous morphemes.Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, 29, 543-560.
Jia, S.,Tsang, Y.-K., Huang, J., & Chen, H.-C. (2013). Right hemisphere advantage in processing Cantonese level and contour tones: Evidence from dichotic listening.Neuroscience Letters, 556, 135-139.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2013). Morpho-semantic processing in word recognition: Evidence from balanced and biased ambiguous morphemes.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 39, 1990-2001.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2013). Early morphological processing is sensitive to morphemic meanings: Evidence from processing ambiguous morphemes.Journal of Memory and Language, 68, 223-239.
Tsang, Y.-K.,& Chen, H.-C. (2012). Eye movement control in reading: Logographic Chinese versus alphabetic scripts.PsyCh Journal,1, 128-142.
Wu, Y., Mo, D.,Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2012). ERPs reveal sub-lexical processing in Chinese character recognition.Neuroscience Letters, 514, 164-168.
Tsang, Y.-K., Jia, S., Huang, J., & Chen, H.-C. (2011). ERP correlates of pre-attentive processing of Cantonese lexical tones: The effects of pitch contour and pitch height.Neuroscience Letters, 487, 268-272.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2010). Morphemic ambiguity resolution in Chinese: Activation of the subordinate meaning with a prior dominant-biased context.Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 17,875-881.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2009). Do position-general radicals have a role to play in processing Chinese characters?Language and Cognitive Processes, 24,947-966.
Tsang, Y.-K., & Chen, H.-C. (2008). Eye movements in reading Chinese. In K. Rayner, D. Shen, X., Bai, & G. Yan (Eds).Cognitive and cultural influences on eye movements, pp. 235-254. Tianjin People’s Press.