Two factors in perceptual segmentation of speech

Abstract

An experiment on the subjective location of clicks heard during spoken sentences shows (1) that clicks are attracted to major surface constituent boundaries, rather than to the boundaries of underlying structure clauses, and (2) that clicks are attracted to preceding constituent boundaries. (1) contradicts the hypothesis proposed by Bever, Lackner and Kirk (1969) that underlying structure sentences are the primary units of immediate speech processing. (2) suggests an overriding perceptual strategy in speech processing of attempting to close constituents of the highest possible level at the earliest possible point. There is independent evidence in the literature for the employment of this strategy.