Perception of the Duration of a Silent Interval in Nonspeech Stimuli: A Test of the Motor Theory of Speech Perception

1974 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 294-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Marti Baumrin
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Categorical Perception ◽  
Silent Interval ◽  
Interval Duration ◽  
Point Scale ◽  
Motor Theory ◽  
Speech Stimuli ◽  
Group I ◽  
The Continuum

The categorical perception of synthetically produced speech stimuli varying along a single dimension (duration of silent interval) has been used as evidence for a motor theory of speech perception. The suggestion has been made that before language learning, discrimination along the silent-interval-duration continuum is comparable to discrimination along any unidimensional continuum, that is, 2.3 bits of information transmitted. To test this hypothesis, two groups of four subjects each listened to 1200 presentations of a set of 10 stimuli consisting of silent intervals of from 10 to 100 msec bounded by noise bursts. The subjects rated the stimuli on a 10-point scale of stimulus duration. Group I was instructed to make a judgment of long or short before rating. Group II was not instructed to make this categorical judgment. An informational analysis of the resulting confusion matrixes resulted in less than one bit of information transmitted for both groups. It is concluded that discrimination of nonspeech stimuli varying along the continuum of silent interval results in fewer (rather than more) discriminated categories than does the discrimination of speech stimuli varying along the same continuum.

Cross-linguistic perception in infancy: early effects of linguistic experience

1982 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca E. Eilers ◽  
William J. Gavin ◽  
D. Kimbrough Oller
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Early Experience ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Speech Discrimination ◽  
Linguistic Experience ◽  
Speech Stimuli ◽  
Infant Speech Perception ◽  
Infant Speech ◽  
Early Effects

ABSTRACTThe possibility that early linguistic experience affects infant speech perception was investigated in a cross-linguistic study with naturally produced speech stimuli. Using the Visually Reinforced Infant Speech Discrimination paradigm, three contrasts were presented to Spanish-and English-learning infants 6–8 months of age. Both groups of infants showed statistically significant discrimination of two contrasts, English and Czech. Only the Spanish-learning infants provided evidence of discrimination of the Spanish contrast. The groups discriminated the English contrast at similarly high levels, but the Spanish-learning infants showed significantly higher performance than the English on both the Spanish and the Czech contrast. The results indicate that early experience does affect early discrimination, and further (since the stimuli were natural) that the effect may be of practical consequence in language learning.

The Motor Theory of Speech Perception

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Whalen
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Speech Perception ◽  
Motor System ◽  
Categorical Perception ◽  
Motor Theory ◽  
Fundamental Relationship ◽  
Nonspeech Sounds ◽  
Category Discrimination ◽  
Linguistic Categories ◽  
The Way

The Motor Theory of Speech Perception is a proposed explanation of the fundamental relationship between the way speech is produced and the way it is perceived. Associated primarily with the work of Liberman and colleagues, it posited the active participation of the motor system in the perception of speech. Early versions of the theory contained elements that later proved untenable, such as the expectation that the neural commands to the muscles (as seen in electromyography) would be more invariant than the acoustics. Support drawn from categorical perception (in which discrimination is quite poor within linguistic categories but excellent across boundaries) was called into question by studies showing means of improving within-category discrimination and finding similar results for nonspeech sounds and for animals perceiving speech. Evidence for motor involvement in perceptual processes nonetheless continued to accrue, and related motor theories have been proposed. Neurological and neuroimaging results have yielded a great deal of evidence consistent with variants of the theory, but they highlight the issue that there is no single “motor system,” and so different components appear in different contexts. Assigning the appropriate amount of effort to the various systems that interact to result in the perception of speech is an ongoing process, but it is clear that some of the systems will reflect the motor control of speech.

Motor theory modulated by task load: strategies of phonological processing in frontal aphasia revealed by tDCS over the LIFG

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lílian Rodrigues de Almeida ◽  
Paul A. Pope ◽  
Peter Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Phonological Processing ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Dorsal Stream ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Motor Theory ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Cathodal Tdcs ◽  
The Individual

In our previous studies we supported the claim that the motor theory is modulated by task load. Motoric participation in phonological processing increases from speech perception to speech production, with the endpoints of the dorsal stream having changing and complementary weightings for processing: the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) being increasingly relevant and the left superior temporal gyrus (LSTG) being decreasingly relevant. Our previous results for neurostimulation of the LIFG support this model. In this study we investigated whether our claim that the motor theory is modulated by task load holds in (frontal) aphasia. Person(s) with aphasia (PWA) after stroke typically have damage on brain areas responsible for phonological processing. They may present variable patterns of recovery and, consequently, variable strategies of phonological processing. Here these strategies were investigated in two PWA with simultaneous fMRI and tDCS of the LIFG during speech perception and speech production tasks. Anodal tDCS excitation and cathodal tDCS inhibition should increase with the relevance of the target for the task. Cathodal tDCS over a target of low relevance could also induce compensation by the remaining nodes. Responses of PWA to tDCS would further depend on their pattern of recovery. Responses would depend on the responsiveness of the perilesional area, and could be weaker than in controls due to an overall hypoactivation of the cortex. Results suggest that the analysis of motor codes for articulation during phonological processing remains in frontal aphasia and that tDCS is a promising diagnostic tool to investigate the individual processing strategies.

scholarly journals What happens to the motor theory of perception when the motor system is damaged?

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 225-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alena Stasenko ◽  
Frank E. Garcea ◽  
Bradford Z. Mahon
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Action Recognition ◽  
Motor System ◽  
Motor Impairments ◽  
Motor Theory ◽  
Input And Output ◽  
Motor Information ◽  
Neuropsychological Evidence ◽  
Motor Representations ◽  
Speech Motor

AbstractMotor theories of perception posit that motor information is necessary for successful recognition of actions. Perhaps the most well known of this class of proposals is the motor theory of speech perception, which argues that speech recognition is fundamentally a process of identifying the articulatory gestures (i.e. motor representations) that were used to produce the speech signal. Here we review neuropsychological evidence from patients with damage to the motor system, in the context of motor theories of perception applied to both manual actions and speech. Motor theories of perception predict that patients with motor impairments will have impairments for action recognition. Contrary to that prediction, the available neuropsychological evidence indicates that recognition can be spared despite profound impairments to production. These data falsify strong forms of the motor theory of perception, and frame new questions about the dynamical interactions that govern how information is exchanged between input and output systems.

scholarly journals The Perception-for-Action-Control Theory (PACT): A perceptuo-motor theory of speech perception

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 336-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Luc Schwartz ◽  
Anahita Basirat ◽  
Lucie Ménard ◽  
Marc Sato
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Control Theory ◽  
Action Control ◽  
Motor Theory

From Ear to Cortex

2002 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 237-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Nittrouer
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Young Child ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Developmental Changes ◽  
Learning Problems ◽  
Basic Unit ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Acoustic Speech Signal ◽  
Perceptual Changes

Phoneme-sized phonetic segments are often defined as the most basic unit of language organization. Two common inferences made from this description are that there are clear correlates to phonetic segments in the acoustic speech stream, and that humans have access to these segments from birth. In fact, well-replicated studies have shown that the acoustic signal of speech lacks invariant physical correlates to phonetic segments, and that the ability to recognize segmental structure is not present from the start of language learning. Instead, the young child must learn how to process the complex, generally continuous acoustic speech signal so that phonetic structure can be derived. This paper describes and reviews experiments that have revealed developmental changes in speech perception that accompany improvements in access to phonetic structure. In addition, this paper explains how these perceptual changes appear to be related to other aspects of language development, such as syntactic abilities and reading. Finally, evidence is provided that these critical developmental changes result from adequate language experience in naturalistic contexts, and accordingly suggests that intervention strategies for children with language learning problems should focus on enhancing language experience in natural contexts.

scholarly journals Intensive Foreign Language Learning Reveals Effects on Categorical Perception of Sibilant Voicing After Only 3 Weeks

i-Perception ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 204166951561367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Højlund Nielsen ◽  
Nynne Thorup Horn ◽  
Stine Derdau Sørensen ◽  
William B. McGregor ◽  
Mikkel Wallentin
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Categorical Perception ◽  
Foreign Language Learning

Acoustic Effects of Wearing an M40 Mask with Hood on Speech Perception Anf Roduction

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (37) ◽  
pp. 674-677
Author(s):  
Sehchang Hah
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Speech Communication ◽  
Speech Stimuli ◽  
Frequency Components ◽  
Protective Mask ◽  
Speech Perception And Production

The objective of this experiment was to quantify and localize the effects of wearing the nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) M40 protective mask and hood on speech production and perception. A designated speaker's vocalizations of 192 monosyllables while wearing an M40 mask with hood were digitized and used as speech stimuli. Another set of speech stimuli was produced by recording the same individual's vocalizing the same monosyllables without the mask and hood. Participants listened to one set of stimuli during two sessions, one session while wearing an M40 mask with hood and another session without the mask and hood. The results showed that wearing the mask with hood gave most detrimental effects on the sustention dimension acoustically for both speech perception and production. The results also showed that wearing it was detrimental on vocalizing and listening to fricatives and unvoiced-stops. These results may be due to the muffling effect of the voicemitter in speech production and the filtering effects of the voicemitter and the hood material on high frequency components during both speech production and perception. This information will be useful for designing better masks and hoods. This methodology also can be used to evaluate other speech communication systems.

Comparative study between transcranial direct current and repetitive transcranial electromagnetic stimulation in the rehabilitation of primary fibromyalgia

QJM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 114 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Y Ragab ◽  
Mervat A Reda ◽  
Dalia M Ezz-Eldin ◽  
Mohja A EL-Badawy
Keyword(s):  
Direct Current ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Central Fatigue ◽  
Tender Point ◽  
Point Scale ◽  
Electromagnetic Stimulation ◽  
Group I

Abstract Background Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a complex disorder where a widespread musculoskeletal pain (without a clear lesion basis) is associated with a great variety of symptoms including affective disturbances, central fatigue, cognitive dysfunction and even a particular skin reactivity to several chemical substances. Despite intense research effort, especially in the last years, the pathophysiology of the disease remains to be explained. The treatment recommendations were classified as pharmacological therapies, non-pharmacological treatments, and complementary non-pharmacological therapies. Also, particular interest has been raised by techniques able to perform effective modulation of brain areas through magnetic or electric currents applied to the scalp like transcranial magnetic and electrical stimulation such as direct current (TMS and tDCS). Objective: To compare the efficacy of Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (r-TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (t-DCS) as non- invasive brain stimulation techniques in the rehabilitation of patients with primary (1ry) fibromyalgia (FM). Patients and Methods The present study included 30 patients with 1ry FM, equally divided into 2 groups. Group I included 15 patients who received 8 sessions of rTMS and Group II included 15 patients who received 8 sessions of anodal tDCS. Differences in visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain, tender point scale, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were assessed before and after completion of assigned treatment sessions. Results Pain VAS, tender point scale, FIQ and HADS showed significant decrease between baseline and follow-up assessments for both groups. Moreover, a significant change in all assessment scales was observed post treatment when compared between both groups with more significant improvement in the group received rTMS. Conclusion Both rTMS and tDCS techniques showed marked improvement in symptoms of pain, functional status and quality of life in patients with 1ry fibromyalgia. Both techniques can be considered as promising alternatives therapeutic options in the treatment of FM in order to reduce side effects of long-term use of drugs.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document