Vocalic transitions in the perception of voiceless initial stops.

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted in order to test the transition dependency and integration hypotheses of speech perception. These two models emphasize the importance of vocalic transitions in stop−vowel syllables for different reasons. The transition−dependency model regards the vocalic transition as a primary cue for stop identification, and the integration model holds that the transition prevents backward masking. Nine stop−vowel monosyllables were treated, resulting in a set of (1) syllables in which the vocalic transition was deleted (Experiment 1), and (2) various nonsyllabic segments—the aperiodic portion, the aperiodic portion plus the vocalic transition, the vocalic transition, and the vocalic transition plus the vowel (Experiment 2). Recognition scores obtained for these stimuli indicate that the vocalic transition is neither a sufficient nor necessary cue for voiceless stop recognition and that the aperiodic portion of the consonant carries the heaviest perceptual load. Subject Classification: 70.30.