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Temporal cues for consonant recognition: training, talker generalization, and use in evaluation of cochlear implants
D J Van Tasell1, D G Greenfield, J J Logemann
1Department of Communication Disorders, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|September 1, 1992
Summary
This study explored how temporal speech cues convey consonant information. Practice improved identification for single talkers, but multiple talkers impaired performance, suggesting spectral cues are vital for consonant place recognition.
Area of Science:
- Auditory perception
- Speech processing
- Acoustic phonetics
Background:
- Temporal characteristics of speech are crucial for conveying limited consonant phonemic information.
- Previous research indicated challenges in identifying temporal consonant cues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of practice and multiple talkers on the identification of temporal consonant information.
- To compare consonant identification abilities between normal-hearing subjects and cochlear implant users.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted using naturally produced /aCa/ disyllables to create "temporal-only" stimuli.
- Stimuli had identical instantaneous amplitudes but flat spectra, isolating temporal acoustic features.
- Consonant identification was assessed after practice and with single versus multiple talkers.
Main Results:
- Practice enhanced normal-hearing subjects' identification of temporal consonant cues from a single talker.
- Performance decreased with multiple talkers, indicating subjects learned individual stimulus items.
- Consonant place identification was poor in multi-talker conditions, suggesting reliance on spectral cues.
- Cochlear implant users' temporal consonant identification generally matched normal-hearing predictions, with some exceeding predictions for consonant place.
Conclusions:
- Temporal speech cues are important for consonant voicing and manner but less so for consonant place.
- Spectral information is critical for identifying consonant place, especially in multi-talker scenarios.
- Cochlear implant users' performance suggests a combination of temporal and potentially spectral cues contribute to their speech perception.