The verbal transformation effect and the perceptual organization of speech: Influence of formant transitions and F0-contour continuity

The verbal transformation effect (VTE) refers to perceptual switches while listening to a speech sound repeated rapidly and continuously. It is a specific case of perceptual multistability providing a rich paradigm for studying the processes underlying the perceptual organization of speech. While the VTE has been mainly considered as a purely auditory effect, this paper presents a review of recent behavioural and neuroimaging studies investigating the role of perceptuo-motor interactions in the effect. Behavioural data show that articulatory constraints and visual information from the speaker's articulatory gestures can influence verbal transformations. In line with these data, functional magnetic resonance imaging and intracranial electroencephalography studies demonstrate that articulatory-based representations play a key role in the emergence and the stabilization of speech percepts during a verbal transformation task. Overall, these results suggest that perceptuo (multisensory)-motor processes are involved in the perceptual organization of speech and the formation of speech perceptual objects.

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Effects of Fundamental Frequency Contours on Sentence Recognition in Mandarin-Speaking Children With Cochlear Implants

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00033 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (11) ◽

pp. 3855-3864

Author(s):

Wanting Huang ◽

Lena L. N. Wong ◽

Fei Chen ◽

Haihong Liu ◽

Wei Liang

Keyword(s):

Cochlear Implants ◽

Fundamental Frequency ◽

Signal To Noise Ratio ◽

Lexical Tone ◽

Signal To Noise ◽

Sentence Recognition ◽

Test Conditions ◽

Age Appropriate ◽

F0 Contour ◽

Appropriate Sentences

Purpose Fundamental frequency (F0) is the primary acoustic cue for lexical tone perception in tonal languages but is processed in a limited way in cochlear implant (CI) systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of F0 contours in sentence recognition in Mandarin-speaking children with CIs and find out whether it is similar to/different from that in age-matched normal-hearing (NH) peers. Method Age-appropriate sentences, with F0 contours manipulated to be either natural or flattened, were randomly presented to preschool children with CIs and their age-matched peers with NH under three test conditions: in quiet, in white noise, and with competing sentences at 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio. Results The neutralization of F0 contours resulted in a significant reduction in sentence recognition. While this was seen only in noise conditions among NH children, it was observed throughout all test conditions among children with CIs. Moreover, the F0 contour-induced accuracy reduction ratios (i.e., the reduction in sentence recognition resulting from the neutralization of F0 contours compared to the normal F0 condition) were significantly greater in children with CIs than in NH children in all test conditions. Conclusions F0 contours play a major role in sentence recognition in both quiet and noise among pediatric implantees, and the contribution of the F0 contour is even more salient than that in age-matched NH children. These results also suggest that there may be differences between children with CIs and NH children in how F0 contours are processed.

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