title: Perceptual chunking and its effect on memory in speech processing: ERP and behavioral evidence.
abstract: We examined how perceptual chunks of varying size in utterances can influence immediate memory of heard items (monosyllabic words). Using behavioral measures and event-related potentials (N400) we evaluated the quality of the memory trace for targets taken from perceived temporal groups (TGs) of three and four items. Variations in the amplitude of the N400 showed a better memory trace for items presented in TGs of three compared to those in groups of four. Analyses of behavioral responses along with P300 components also revealed effects of chunk position in the utterance. This is the first study to measure the online effects of perceptual chunks on the memory trace of spoken items. Taken together, the N400 and P300 responses demonstrate that the perceptual chunking of speech facilitates information buffering and a processing on a chunk-by-chunk basis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Sciences Phonétiques, Département de Linguistique et de Traduction, Université de Montréal, Montréal QC, Canada ; Laboratoire de Recherche en Neurosciences et Électrophysiologie Cognitive, Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, Montréal QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Annie C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Sciences Phonétiques, Département de Linguistique et de Traduction, Université de Montréal, Montréal QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Victor J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Recherche en Neurosciences et Électrophysiologie Cognitive, Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, Montréal QC, Canada ; Centre de Recherche Fernand-Seguin, École d'Orthophonie et d'Audiologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Boutheina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jemel
keywords: ERP; N400; P300; chunking; prosody; working memory