The articulatory in-out effect: Driven by consonant preferences?

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Linguistics
• Speech Perception

Background:

• The articulatory in-out effect describes a preference for stimuli with inward-wandering consonant orders (e.g., BODIKA) over outward-wandering orders (e.g., KODIBA).
• Original explanations favored articulation trajectory preferences, but recent research suggested consonant preferences as an alternative.
• Previous studies' stimulus materials may have influenced findings, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conceptually replicate Maschmann et al. (2020) using materials more likely to elicit articulation trajectory preferences.
• To test the robustness of articulation trajectory preferences against consonant preference explanations.
• To clarify the underlying mechanisms of the empirical in-out effect.

Main Methods:

• A preregistered, high-powered experiment with 349 participants was conducted.
• Stimulus materials were carefully selected to elicit articulation trajectory preferences.
• The study compared preferences for inward versus outward consonant orders.

Main Results:

• Strong support was found for the original hypothesis of articulation trajectory preferences.
• No evidence emerged to support the consonant preference account proposed by Maschmann et al. (2020).
• The findings indicate that articulation trajectory preferences are robust.

Conclusions:

• Preferences for articulation trajectories are a significant factor in the in-out effect.
• The in-out effect cannot be solely explained by consonant preferences.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the processes underlying the empirical in-out effect.