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Temporal fine structure influences voicing confusions for consonant identification in multi-talker babble
Vibha Viswanathan1, Barbara G Shinn-Cunningham2, Michael G Heinz3
1Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|October 31, 2021
Summary
Temporal fine structure (TFS) in speech provides crucial voicing information beyond acoustic envelopes, even in noisy environments. This finding impacts assistive listening device design for better speech perception.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Speech Perception
- Acoustic Signal Processing
Background:
- Speech perception relies on acoustic cues, with envelopes carrying most phonetic content.
- Temporal fine structure (TFS) aids speech segregation but its role in phonetic content is unclear.
- Understanding cue contributions is vital for everyday listening and assistive devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the role of TFS in conveying phonetic information beyond acoustic envelopes.
- Determine TFS's contribution to consonant perception in multi-talker babble.
- Clarify TFS's function in intact speech within complex acoustic scenes.
Main Methods:
- Online psychophysical experiments measuring consonant identification.
- Comparison of intact speech with 64-channel envelope-vocoded stimuli in multi-talker babble.
- Analysis of consonant confusion patterns to assess perceptual biases.
Main Results:
- Listeners showed a bias towards unvoiced consonants in vocoded stimuli compared to intact speech.
- This bias persisted despite preserved envelope and place cues in vocoded stimuli.
- Results were consistent across varied babble instances, confirming TFS's role.
Conclusions:
- Temporal fine structure (TFS) conveys essential voicing information not captured by acoustic envelopes.
- TFS plays a significant role in speech perception in noisy, everyday environments.
- Findings have implications for designing improved cochlear implants and other hearing aids.
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