Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Vibrotactile signals can aid recognition of spectrally degraded speech signals.

JASA express letters·2026

Same author

Lexical Stress in Mandarin Second-Language Speakers of English: An Electromagnetic Articulography Study.

Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR·2025

Same author

Assessing ultrasound probe stabilization for quantifying speech production contrasts using the Adjustable Laboratory Probe Holder for UltraSound (ALPHUS).

Journal of phonetics·2024

Same author

The effect of native language and bilingualism on multimodal perception in speech: A study of audio-aerotactile integrationa).

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2024

Same author

Production of the English /ɹ/ by Mandarin-English Bilingual Speakers.

Language and speech·2024

Same author

Direct neural coding of speech: Reconsideration of Whalen et al. (2006) (L).

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Author Spotlight: In-Depth Morphometric Examination and Quantification of Native Lens Structure Using Whole Mount Imaging

Author Spotlight: In-Depth Morphometric Examination and Quantification of Native Lens Structure Using Whole Mount Imaging

Published on: January 19, 2024

Direct Perceptions of Carol Fowler's Theoretical Perspective.

¹City University of New York, Haskins Laboratories, Yale University.

Ecological Psychology : a Publication of the International Society for Ecological Psychology

|June 7, 2017

Summary

Carol Fowler

Area of Science:

Speech Perception Research
Auditory Neuroscience
Psycholinguistics

Background:

Carol Fowler's work on speech perception has generated significant debate.
Disagreements stem from misunderstandings of her "direct perception" theory and its challenge to established views.
Acoustic theories of speech perception remain prevalent despite evidence favoring production-based perspectives.

Purpose of the Study:

To clarify the core tenets of Carol Fowler's "direct perception" theory of speech.
To address the persistent misunderstandings and controversies surrounding this theory.
To highlight the ongoing challenge direct perception poses to traditional acoustic theories.

Main Methods:

Analysis of existing research and theoretical arguments in speech perception.

Keywords:

Carol Fowler Direct perception James Gibson speech perception

More Related Videos

Characterization of SiN Integrated Optical Phased Arrays on a Wafer-Scale Test Station

Characterization of SiN Integrated Optical Phased Arrays on a Wafer-Scale Test Station

Published on: April 1, 2020

Sequential Application of Glass Coverslips to Assess the Compressive Stiffness of the Mouse Lens: Strain and Morphometric Analyses

Sequential Application of Glass Coverslips to Assess the Compressive Stiffness of the Mouse Lens: Strain and Morphometric Analyses

Published on: May 3, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Author Spotlight: In-Depth Morphometric Examination and Quantification of Native Lens Structure Using Whole Mount Imaging

Author Spotlight: In-Depth Morphometric Examination and Quantification of Native Lens Structure Using Whole Mount Imaging

Published on: January 19, 2024

Characterization of SiN Integrated Optical Phased Arrays on a Wafer-Scale Test Station

Characterization of SiN Integrated Optical Phased Arrays on a Wafer-Scale Test Station

Published on: April 1, 2020

Sequential Application of Glass Coverslips to Assess the Compressive Stiffness of the Mouse Lens: Strain and Morphometric Analyses

Sequential Application of Glass Coverslips to Assess the Compressive Stiffness of the Mouse Lens: Strain and Morphometric Analyses

Published on: May 3, 2016

Examination of evidence supporting and refuting acoustic vs. production-based theories.

Discussion of the implications of Fowler's Gibsonian-inspired approach.

Main Results:

Misunderstandings of "direct perception" often equate it with non-acoustic access to the vocal tract, rather than signal sufficiency.
Evidence for the limitations of purely acoustic properties in speech perception is substantial but has not shifted majority views.
Attempts to integrate acoustic and production perspectives often fail to fully address the direct perception challenge.

Conclusions:

Fowler's "direct perception" theory posits that the speech signal sufficiently specifies production, challenging acoustic-only models.
Despite decades of evidence, direct perception remains controversial, with acoustic theories dominating.
Further research and discussion are needed to fully explore and potentially resolve the implications of direct speech perception.