The effects of stimulability on the articulation of /s/ relative to cluster and word frequency of occurrence.
This study investigated the effects of stimulability on the articulation of cluster nested /s/ in high- and low-frequency clusters and words. A good stimulability group and a poor stimulability group of /s/-defective seven-year-old children were investigated. Statistical analysis did not reveal significant differences between the articulatory performances of the two groups on words or clusters occurring with high or low frequency. Subjects in the good stimulability group obtained significantly fewer errors on the test stimuli than did subjects in the poor stimulability group. Correlational analyses indicated that stimulability was positively correlated with correct numbers of /s/ productions in both clusters and words occurring with both high and low frequency. Subjects' spontaneous /s/ errors on the Templin-Darley screening test were not found to be correlated with their stimulability scores or their imitative /s/ productions in words and clusters occurring with high or low frequencies.
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D010700:Phonetics; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States