Abstract
Little is known about the processes underlying the nonlinear relationship between acoustics and speech perception. In Experiment 1, we explored the effects of systematic variation of a single acoustic parameter (silent gap duration between a natural utterance of s and a synthetic vowel ay) on judgements of speech category. The resulting shifts in category boundary between say and stay showed rich dynamics, including hysteresis, contrast, and critical boundary effects. We propose a dynamical model to account for the observed patterns. Experiment 2 evaluated one prediction of the model, that changing the relative stability of the two percepts allows categorical switching. In agreement with the model; an increase in the number of stimulus repetitions maximized the frequency of judgments of category change near the boundary. Thus, a dynamical approach affords the rudiments for a theory of the effects of temporal context on speech categorization.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
