The time course of indexical specificity effects in the perception of spoken words

Abstract

This research investigates the time-course of indexical specificity effects in spoken word recognition by examining the circumstances under which the variability in the speaking rate affects the participant’s perception of spoken words. Previous research has demonstrated that variability has both representational and processing consequences. The current research examines one of the conditions expected to influence the extent to which indexical variability plays a role in spoken word recognition, namely the time-course of processing. Based on our past work, it was hypothesized that indexical specificity effects associated with the speaking rate would only affect later stages of processing in spoken word recognition. The results confirm this hypothesis: Specificity effects are only in evidence when processing is relatively slow. [Research supported (in part) by Research Grant No. R01 DC 0265801 from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health.]