[en] Optical absorption and electron spin resonance (ESR) attributed to X-ray induced localized paramagnetic states are studied in glassy As₂S₃ and As₂Se₃ for T >= 77 K. The production of induced paramagnetic states is not detected in crystalline As₂S₃. X-ray irradiation of a crystal at 77 K excites luminescence with the same spectrum as that for photoluminescence. No X-ray excited luminescence is observed in glasses at 77 K. It is shown that a unified explanation for the data can be given on the basis of the Mott-Davis-Street model. (author)