The influence of sentential speaking rate on the internal structure of phonetic categories.
In the experiments reported in this paper we compared the effects of syllable-level and sentence-level speaking rate on phonetic perception. In an earlier set of experiments, we found that syllable-level rate influences the internal perceptual structure of phonetic categories [Miller and Volaitis, Percept. Psychophys. 46, 505-512 (1989); Volaitis and Miller, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 92, 723-735 (1992)]. Specifically, a change in target-syllable rate altered the location of the stimuli judged to be the best category exemplars, as well as the width of this best-exemplar range. In the present investigation, it was asked whether sentence-level rate has the same influence. It was found that slowing sentence rate shifted the location of the best-exemplar range, but did not alter its width. These findings are discussed in terms of timing mechanisms that may operate during speech perception.
Wayland
S C
SC
Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Miller
J L
JL
Volaitis
L E
LE
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D006801:Humans; D010700:Phonetics; D013060:Speech; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D013997:Time Factors