Journal article
Assessing Perceptual Difficulty Across Speech Sound Categories and Contrasts to Optimize Minimal Pair Training
Journal of speech, language, and hearing research, Vol.68(6), pp.2945-2958
06/05/2025
DOI: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-24-00254
PMCID: PMC12510373
PMID: 40299725
Abstract
Utilizing psycholinguistic methods, this article aims to ascertain the perceptual difficulty associated with distinguishing between different speech sound categories and individual contrasts within those categories, with the ultimate goal of informing the use of minimal pair contrasts in perceptual training.
Using eye-tracking in the Visual World Paradigm, adults with normal hearing (
= 30) were presented with an auditory word and were required to identify the matching image from a selection of four options: the target word, two unrelated words, and a minimal pair competitor contrasting with the target word in word-final position in one of four categories (manner, place, voicing, nasality).
We measured fixations to minimal pair competitors over time and found that manner and place competitors exhibited greater competition compared to voicing and nasality competitors. Notably, within manner competitors, substantial differences in discrimination difficulty were observed among individual contrasts.
Conventional views of speech sound perception have often grouped sounds into broad categories (manner, place, voicing, nasality), potentially overlooking the nuanced differences within these groupings, which significantly affect perception. This work is vital for advancing our understanding of speech perception and its mechanisms. Furthermore, this work will help to refine minimal pair treatment strategies in clinical contexts.
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.28848446.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Assessing Perceptual Difficulty Across Speech Sound Categories and Contrasts to Optimize Minimal Pair Training
- Creators
- Kristi Hendrickson - University of IowaNadine Lee - Department of Communication Sciences and Disorder, The University of Iowa, Iowa CityElizabeth A Walker - Department of Communication Sciences and Disorder, The University of Iowa, Iowa CityMeaghan Foody - University of IowaPhilip Combiths - Department of Communication Sciences and Disorder, The University of Iowa, Iowa City
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of speech, language, and hearing research, Vol.68(6), pp.2945-2958
- DOI
- 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-24-00254
- PMID
- 40299725
- PMCID
- PMC12510373
- NLM abbreviation
- J Speech Lang Hear Res
- ISSN
- 1558-9102
- eISSN
- 1558-9102
- Publisher
- AMER SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOC
- Grant note
- National Institutes of Health: R01 DC020143, R01DC019081
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health Grants R01 DC020143 (awarded to K.H.) and R01DC019081 (awarded to E.W.) . The data that support the findings of this study are in Open Science Framework. They will be made openly available on acceptance. The authors acknowledge members of The University of Iowa's Psycholinguistics Lab for helping with participant testing and the National Institutes of Health Grants.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 04/29/2025
- Date published
- 06/05/2025
- Academic Unit
- Communication Sciences and Disorders; Center for Social Science Innovation; Otolaryngology
- Record Identifier
- 9984816014002771
Metrics
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