Infants struggle to apply earlier-demonstrated sound-discrimination abilities to later word-learning, attending to non-constrastive acoustic dimensions (e.g., Hay et al., 2015), and not always to contrastive dimensions (e.g., Stager & Werker, 1997). One hint about the nature of infants' difficulties comes from the observation that input from multiple talkers can improve word learning (Rost & McMurray, 2009). This may be because, when a single talker says both of the to-be-learned words, consistent talker's-voice characteristics make the acoustics of the two words more overlapping (Apfelbaum & McMurray, 2011). Here, we test that notion. We taught 14-month-old infants two similar-sounding words in the Switch habituation paradigm. The same amount of overall talker variability was present as in prior multiple-talker experiments, but male and female talkers said different words, creating a gender-word correlation. Under an-acoustic-similarity account, correlated talker gender should help to separate words-acoustically and facilitate learning. Instead, we found that correlated talker gender impaired learning of word-object pairings compared with uncorrelated talker gender-even when gender-word pairings were always maintained in test-casting doubt on one account of the beneficial effects of talker variability. We discuss several alternate potential explanations for this effect.

The goal of this work was to evaluate the performance of a classical method for predicting vocal tract cross-sectional areas from cross-distances, to be implemented in speaker-specific articulatory modelling. The data forming the basis of the evaluation were magnetic resonance images from the vocal tract combined with simultaneous audio and video recordings. These data were collected from one female and one male speaker. The speech materials consisted of extended articulation of each of the nine Swedish long vowels together with two short allophonic qualities. The data acquisition and processing involved, among other things, the development of a method for dental integration in the MR image, and a refined sound recording technique required for the particular experimental conditions. Articulatory measurements were made of cross-distances and cross-sectional areas from the speakers’ larynx, pharynx, oral cavity and lip section, together with estimations on the vocal tract termination points. Acoustic and auditory analyses were made of the sound recordings, including an evaluation of the influence of the noise from the MR machine on the vowel productions. Cross-distance to cross-sectional area conversion rules were established from the articulatory measurements. The evaluation of these rules involved quantitative as well as qualitative dimensions. The articulatory evaluation gave rise to a vowel-dependent extension of the method under investigation, allowing more geometrical freedom for articulatory configurations along the vocal tract. The extended method proved to be more successful in predicting cross-sectional areas, particularly in the velar region. The acoustic evaluation, based on area functions derived from the proposed rules, did however not show significant differences in formant patterns between the classical and the extended method. This was interpreted as evidence for the classic method having higher acoustic than physiological validity on the present materials. For application and extrapolation in articulatory modelling, it is however possible that the extended method will perform better in articulation and acoustics, given its physiologically more fine-tuned foundation. Research funded by the NIH (R01 DC02014) and Stockholm University (SU 617-0230-01). / <p>För att köpa boken skicka en beställning till exp@ling.su.se/ To order the book send an e-mail to exp@ling.su.se</p>

A linguagem, manifestação natural do ser humano, vem sendo estudada por pelo menos dois milênios. No entanto, a comunidade científica em geral ainda reluta em considerar o estudo da linguagem humana (lingüística) como uma ciência. Certamente a forma como se estuda a linguagem influencia nessa opinião. A dicotomia entre língua e fala atribuída a Saussure (1970) ainda guia grande parte dos estudos científicos hoje em dia. Essa dicotomia ainda faz surgir grandes debates no mundo lingüístico. Se um pesquisador opta por estudar a fala, ele/ela provavelmente não vai lidar com língua e vice-versa. No entanto, nos últimos anos, essa perspectiva vem mudando, sob o impulso de pesquisadores como Ohala (1990) e Lindblom (1986), que perpetuam as fundações já estabelecidas no começo do século 20 por Rousselot (1904). Isso não significa que uma tendência lingüística mais baseada na substância negue qualquer princípio da teoria fonológica contemporânea. Ao contrário, procura prová-las baseando-se em paradigmas da ciência experimental. Dados de fala permitem fazer analises robustas de fenômenos lingüísticos, e paradigmas experimentais se aplicam bem a esses fenômenos. Essa é a perspectiva adotada por essa dissertação. Baseado na tipologia das línguas, e na teoria molde/conteúdo de evolução da fala (MACNEILAGE, 1998; 2008), este estudo objetiva situar o português do Brasil na tipologia das línguas do mundo, de forma a mostrar como seus padrões silábicos respeitam certas restrições neurológicas, psicológicas e sensoriais. Para alcançar esse objetivo, um banco de dados do português dividido em sílabas foi feito. Esse banco de dados foi analisado com um programa desenvolvido especificamente para estudos tipológicos da sílaba. Alguns fenômenos lingüísticos, tais como associações silábicas labial-central, coronal-frontal, dorsal-posteiror e o efeito L.C. (labial-coronal) são discutidos dentro do quadro da teoria molde/conteúdo. / Language, the natural expression of human beings, has been studied for at least two millennia. However, the scientific community still disagrees in considering the study of natural language (i.e. linguistics), as a science. Certainly the way it has been studied in the past influences this opinion. The dichotomy between language and speech attributed to Saussure (1970), still guides a substantial part of the research in linguistics nowadays. This dichotomy has been arising great debates in the linguistic world. If a researcher chooses to study speech, he/she will likely not deal with language and vice versa. However, in the last few decades, this perspective has been changing, under the impulsion of researchers like Ohala (1990) and Lindblom (1986) who perpetuate the foundations already established at the beginning of the 20th century by Rousselot (1904). This does not mean that a more substance-based linguistic trend denies every statement made in contemporary phonological theory. Instead, it rather searches to prove them based on the paradigms of experimental science. Speech data, allow making robust analyses of linguistic phenomena, and experimental paradigms apply particularly well to these phenomena. This is the perspective adopted by this thesis. Based on language typology, and on the frame/content theory of speech (MACNEILAGE, 1998; 2008), this study aims to situate Brazilian Portuguese in the syllable typology of the worlds languages, in order to show how its syllable patterns respect certain sensorial, physiological and neurological constraints.. In order to achieve this goal a data base of Portuguese words divided into syllables was made. This data base was then analyzed with a program specifically developed for typological studies of syllables. Some linguistic phenomena such as labial-central, coronal-frontal and dorsal-back associations and the L.C. (labial-coronal) effect are discussed within the frame/content theory framework.

人类如何在颜色、视觉对象和听觉对象存在很大差异的情况下实现感知恒定，这是认知神经科学的一个根本问题。大脑处理差异的一个重要办法是依靠背景环境，为感知颜色、视觉对象和听觉对象提供参照。在语音感知中，在言语信号中存在话者间以及话者内差异的情况下实现语音恒定也是很关键的。根据语境归一化机制，听者可以通过语境（即目标语音周围的其他语音）适应话者的语音空间。在本论文中，我以声调为例考察了语音恒定的问题。 / 第一，在一个跨语言研究中，我发现不同语音系统的结构会影响听者听辨多个话者所发的声调。普通话听者可以不靠语境准确地听辨多个话者所发的声调，而广东话听者则被多个话者间的音高差异误导。这一不同可以归根于广东话声调系统中存在多个调型相同的平调。这一发现有助理解不同语音系统的结构对于话者差异的影响的抵抗力。 / 第二，我发现而广东话听者需要语境以估计某一话者的单调范围来帮助判断平调。带有相同基频信息的言语语境和非言语语境的作用不同。非言语语境的作用很小，而言语语境，无论是否有语义，都有作用，不过有语义的言语语境作用更大。 / 关于语境归一化的神经基础，我最早在N400 时间窗（250-500 毫秒）发现了归一化效应。这说明言语语境提供话者的音高参照以准确地分析词的语音特征，帮助词义提取。当归一化以一种自上而下的方式实施时，归一化的发生不晚于音素加工阶段（PMN，220-350 毫秒）。这些探索性的EEG 研究是最早考察语境归一化的神经基础的研究。 / 第三，我提出了一个关于语音在大脑中表征的混合模型，以整合两种对立的观点。这个模型中，低层表征是实际听到的不同话者所说的语音的例子，高层表征则是反映不同话者间语音相似性的更为抽象的表征。我找到了一些初步的支持证据，比如语音辨认的准确性与话者的音高在群体分布中的典型性有显著相关。这说明高层的表征形式是由一个语言社区中话者音高的总体分布所决定的。这一模型需要被进一步检验，比如通过语言习得研究，考察习得新语音范畴时低层和高层表征的动态发展。 / 总之，本论文对于理解语音系统的结构有帮助，并且阐明了语境归一化的机制和神经基础以及语音的多层表征形式。但是还有很多未解决的问题有待进一步考察。 / How humans achieve constancy in the perception of color, visual object and auditory object despite the tremendous variation is a fundamental question in cognitive neuroscience. An important way that the brain tackles variation is through reliance on the context, which provides a reference for the perception of an object. In speech perception, it is critical to achieve phonetic constancy above the inter- and intra-talker variation in speech signals. According to the context-dependent normalization mechanism, listeners adapt to a talker’s phonetic space via the context (i.e., neighboring sounds of a speech sound to be recognized). This contextually built phonetic space serves as a reference for compensating for talker variation. In this thesis, I have examined the question of phonetic constancy using lexical tones as a case study. / Firstly, in a cross-linguistic study, I found that the structure of phonological inventories influences categorization of multi-talker tone stimuli. Mandarin listeners correctly categorized multi-talker stimuli without contexts, whereas Cantonese listeners were misguided by acoustic variation between talkers, a difference attributable to the existence of multiple level tones with a similar F0 contour in Cantonese. This finding has implications for understanding the structure of phonological inventories in terms of resistance to talker variability. / Secondly, I found that Cantonese listeners could resolve the ambiguity of level tones by adapting to talker-specific pitch references via a context. Speech and nonspeech contexts contribute unequally to talker adaptation. Nonspeech contexts have a minimal effect, whereas speech contexts, no matter meaningful or not, facilitate adaptation, but congruent semantic content further enlarges the facilitatory effect. / As for the neural locus of context-dependent normalization, I found normalization effects in the N400 time-window (250-500 ms). It indicates that speech contexts facilitate retrieval of semantic memory, by providing talker-specific references to accurately assess the phonetic property of a word. When implemented in a top-down manner, context-dependent normalization occurs no later than the phonemic level of processing (Phonological Mapping Negativity, 220-350 ms). These EEG studies, though exploratory, are among the first to examine the neural processes of context-dependent normalization. / Thirdly, I proposed a hybrid model of mental representations to reconcile two opposite views. In this model, at a lower level are encountered exemplars of speech sounds from different talkers, and at a higher level are abstract representations that reflect the general similarity of speech sounds across talkers. I found initial evidence for this model, such as a significant correlation between the identification accuracy and the typicality of a talker’s pitch range in the population distribution, which suggests that higher-level representations are shaped by the global distribution of talkers’ vocal characteristics in a community. This model needs to be further tested in studies on language learning to examine dynamic development of talker-specific and abstract representations for new phonological categories. / In conclusion, this thesis has implications for understanding the structure of phonological inventories in the world’s languages; it also sheds light on mechanisms and neural processes of context-dependent normalization and the hybrid nature of mental representations. Many unresolved questions remain to be examined in future studies. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Zhang, Caicai. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 173-194). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Zhang, Caicai.

Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Bibliography: leaves 45.

Thesis. 1980. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Linguistics and Philosophy. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND HUMANITIES. / Bibliography: leaves 361-372. / by Moira Jean Winsland Yip. / Ph.D.

All these four factors influence the degree of CP. In the discussion, both general auditory processing and language specific processing are suggested to be responsible for the various types of exhibition of CP, although they have different weights for different factors. Different patterns of CP were also observed in three temporal stages due to different weights of these two types of processing. In summary, a multistage model which includes both general auditory processing and language specific processing is proposed to explain the CP of lexical tones. This model improves previous models by proposing that the weights of these two types of processing in speech perception depend on the types of factors, and the temporal processing stages. / Finally, for the first time in the literature, the thesis also reported that even though a tone contrast (i.e., level vs. rising) is present in both tone systems, the same contrast is perceived differently by the two groups of subjects by virtue of their different language experiences. / Four factors were studied. They were (1) intrinsic acoustic properties of pitch contours by comparison between continua of level tones and contour tones; (2) positions of target syllables relative to context (without contextual sentence, at the beginning and at the end of the contextual sentence); (3) language backgrounds by comparison between listeners with different tone experiences; and (4) carrier syllables (real word, non word, and nonspeech). Three temporal stages were studied in the same experimental paradigm. They were (1) the preattentive stage investigated through the mismatch negativity (MMN); (2) the attentive stage investigated through the P300; and (3) the overt response stage investigated through the hit rate data. / Pitch contour or its acoustic correlate, fundamental frequency (F0), distinguishes lexical meanings in tone languages. Two topics on CP of lexical tones were studied in the thesis: (1) the factors influencing CP, and (2) the temporal process of CP. These two topics were investigated through both behavioral and event-related-potential (ERP) methods on Cantonese and Mandarin tones. / Speech sounds vary across different conditions and subjects; nevertheless, listeners perceive the phonemes without difficulties. Categorical perception (CP) occurs when listeners map the varying speech sounds into discrete phonemic categories. In CP, to discriminate a pair of stimuli that cross a category boundary is much easier than those that lie within the same category, even though both pairs are separated by an equal physical difference. CP is one of the important properties essential for speech perception. / Zheng, Hongying. / Adviser: William Shi-Yuan Wang. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-04, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 179-194). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese; appendix 2 in Chinese.

A linguagem, manifestação natural do ser humano, vem sendo estudada por pelo menos dois milênios. No entanto, a comunidade científica em geral ainda reluta em considerar o estudo da linguagem humana (lingüística) como uma ciência. Certamente a forma como se estuda a linguagem influencia nessa opinião. A dicotomia entre língua e fala atribuída a Saussure (1970) ainda guia grande parte dos estudos científicos hoje em dia. Essa dicotomia ainda faz surgir grandes debates no mundo lingüístico. Se um pesquisador opta por estudar a fala, ele/ela provavelmente não vai lidar com língua e vice-versa. No entanto, nos últimos anos, essa perspectiva vem mudando, sob o impulso de pesquisadores como Ohala (1990) e Lindblom (1986), que perpetuam as fundações já estabelecidas no começo do século 20 por Rousselot (1904). Isso não significa que uma tendência lingüística mais baseada na substância negue qualquer princípio da teoria fonológica contemporânea. Ao contrário, procura prová-las baseando-se em paradigmas da ciência experimental. Dados de fala permitem fazer analises robustas de fenômenos lingüísticos, e paradigmas experimentais se aplicam bem a esses fenômenos. Essa é a perspectiva adotada por essa dissertação. Baseado na tipologia das línguas, e na teoria molde/conteúdo de evolução da fala (MACNEILAGE, 1998; 2008), este estudo objetiva situar o português do Brasil na tipologia das línguas do mundo, de forma a mostrar como seus padrões silábicos respeitam certas restrições neurológicas, psicológicas e sensoriais. Para alcançar esse objetivo, um banco de dados do português dividido em sílabas foi feito. Esse banco de dados foi analisado com um programa desenvolvido especificamente para estudos tipológicos da sílaba. Alguns fenômenos lingüísticos, tais como associações silábicas labial-central, coronal-frontal, dorsal-posteiror e o efeito L.C. (labial-coronal) são discutidos dentro do quadro da teoria molde/conteúdo. / Language, the natural expression of human beings, has been studied for at least two millennia. However, the scientific community still disagrees in considering the study of natural language (i.e. linguistics), as a science. Certainly the way it has been studied in the past influences this opinion. The dichotomy between language and speech attributed to Saussure (1970), still guides a substantial part of the research in linguistics nowadays. This dichotomy has been arising great debates in the linguistic world. If a researcher chooses to study speech, he/she will likely not deal with language and vice versa. However, in the last few decades, this perspective has been changing, under the impulsion of researchers like Ohala (1990) and Lindblom (1986) who perpetuate the foundations already established at the beginning of the 20th century by Rousselot (1904). This does not mean that a more substance-based linguistic trend denies every statement made in contemporary phonological theory. Instead, it rather searches to prove them based on the paradigms of experimental science. Speech data, allow making robust analyses of linguistic phenomena, and experimental paradigms apply particularly well to these phenomena. This is the perspective adopted by this thesis. Based on language typology, and on the frame/content theory of speech (MACNEILAGE, 1998; 2008), this study aims to situate Brazilian Portuguese in the syllable typology of the worlds languages, in order to show how its syllable patterns respect certain sensorial, physiological and neurological constraints.. In order to achieve this goal a data base of Portuguese words divided into syllables was made. This data base was then analyzed with a program specifically developed for typological studies of syllables. Some linguistic phenomena such as labial-central, coronal-frontal and dorsal-back associations and the L.C. (labial-coronal) effect are discussed within the frame/content theory framework.

The research question for this thesis is: How does vowel quality vary across Gitksan speakers, and what sociolinguistic factors may be influencing this variation? Answering this question requires both that I show what the variation is, and why it may be that way; I have approached these questions by conducting a study in two parts. First, I conducted a demographic survey and ethnographically-informed qualitative interview with nine Gitksan speakers. Second, I performed an acoustic analysis of vowel variation across these same speakers. The acoustic results lead me to conclude that the low and front vowels show the most variation between speakers. My findings allowed me to add to our understanding of individual variation across speakers and communities. Although further investigation is needed to come to a conclusion about the generalizability of these results, the overarching contribution of my work is to add phonetic detail to previous descriptions of variation between speakers within the Interior Tsimshianic dialect continuum. / Graduate

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