Amplitude Onsets and Spectral Energy in Perceptual Experience

Sophie Scott,Carolyn Mcgettigan

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00080

Abstract

GENERAL COMMENTARY article Front. Psychol., 27 March 2012Sec. Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00080

Highlights

Sound sequences, not all signal rise times are equal in their effects, and the onset phenomena that Goswami discusses need to be considered in the context of the spectral energy of sounds
Goswami correctly stresses that people with dyslexia experience problems with onset/rhyme processing in syllables, but the rise time of low amplitude modulations in a syllable is not a useful marker of the onset/rhyme distinction, unless the syllable happens to start with a vowel
Amplitude variation is represented within different channels of spectral energy (e.g., Irino and Patterson, 2001), and the rise times of the energy within these channels can vary considerably

Summary

Introduction

Sound sequences, not all signal rise times are equal in their effects, and the onset phenomena that Goswami discusses need to be considered in the context of the spectral energy of sounds. Goswami correctly stresses that people with dyslexia experience problems with onset/rhyme processing in syllables (e.g., in producing spoonerisms), but the rise time of low amplitude modulations in a syllable is not a useful marker of the onset/rhyme distinction, unless the syllable happens to start with a vowel.

Results

Conclusion