Speakers' ability to control vocal tract output: I. Phrase‐level utterance duration

Abstract

The aim of this line of research is to gain a better understanding of the kinds of control speakers can bring to bear on various types of vocal tract output. In the present studies, the ability of speakers to “control” phrase‐level utterance durations is explored under a variety of conditions. Speakers are asked to reproduce utterance durations with reference to (1) a self‐generated model (that is, an internal standard) and (2) an external model; within this variable of model type, utterance length is varied. Central tendency and dispersion characteristics of total utterance durations as well as within‐phrase segment durations are examined and evaluated relative to hypotheses derived from the general motor behavior literature. [Work supported by NIH Program Project NS 13274.]