Effects of reading ability on native and nonnative talker recognition

Abstract

Recent findings suggest that phonological knowledge influences talker identification. Specifically, talker identification is improved for native compared to nonnative talkers, and adults with reading disability show impaired talker identification even for native talkers [Perrachione et al., Science, 333, 595 (2011)]. Here, we examine whether effects of reading ability on talker identification emerge among unimpaired readers. Monolingual English adults were assigned to either the high or low reading group based on standardized assessments of reading and reading sub-skills. All readers learned to identify the voices of four English talkers and four French talkers. Training consisted of a two-alternative forced choice task with feedback provided on every trial. After training, retention of learning was tested using a four-alternative forced choice task without feedback. The results to date suggest that the high reading group learned both the native and nonnative voices faster compared to the low reading grou...