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Processing variant forms in spoken word recognition: the role of variant frequency
Cynthia M Connine1, Larissa J Ranbom, David J Patterson
1Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13901, USA. connine@binghamton.edu
Perception & Psychophysics
|May 8, 2008
Summary
This study explored how people recognize spoken words with reduced schwa vowels. Word frequency and deletion rates influence how listeners perceive syllable count and word forms.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Phonetics
- Speech Perception
Background:
- Spoken word recognition involves processing variations in pronunciation.
- Schwa vowel deletion is a common phonological process in English, affecting syllable count and word form.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of schwa vowel deletion frequency in spoken word recognition.
- To examine how variant frequency affects judgments of syllable number and lexical decision.
- To determine if lexical frequency of surface forms influences processing.
Main Methods:
- Utilized corpus analyses to select words with high and low schwa deletion rates.
- Created speech continua manipulating schwa vowel length for real words and nonwords.
- Employed vowel detection, syllable number judgment, and lexical decision tasks.
Main Results:
- Low-deletion-rate words elicited more three-syllable judgments compared to high-deletion-rate words.
- Nonwords did not show differences based on deletion rate, indicating lexical effects.
- More frequent surface forms (schwa-deleted or present) led to faster lexical decision times.
Conclusions:
- Word recognition is influenced by the frequency of phonological variants.
- Listeners' perception of syllable structure is sensitive to variant frequency.
- Lexical representations are updated based on the frequency of different surface forms.
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