Abstract
The perceptual effects of orthogonal variations in two acoustic parameters which differentiate American-English prevocalic /r/ and /l/ were examined. A spectral cue (frequency onset and transition of F3) and a temporal cue (relative duration of initial steady-state and transitions off F1) were varied in synthetic versions of “rock” and “lock.” Four temporal variations (A, B, C, D) in each of ten stimuli of a spectral-cue continuum were generated. In phonetic identification and oddity discrimination tasks with the four series, systematic displacement of perceptual boundaries and discrimination peaks reflected a trading relation between the two cues. Utilizing the A and C series, the perceptual equivalence of spectral and temporal cues was investigated by comparing the relative discrimination of three types of stimulus comparisons: facilitating cues (values of both acoustic parameters were selected to facilitate phonetic differentiation), one-cue (only spectral cue values varied), and conflicting cues (values of both acoustic parameters were selected to conflict as to phonetic differentiation). As predicted, discrimination accuracy was ordered: facilitating cues > one-cue > conflicting cues comparisons, indicating that perceivers responded on the basis of an integrated phonetic percept. [Supported by NIMH.]
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