When speaker identity is unavoidable: Neural processing of speaker identity cues in natural speech

Alba Tuninetti; Kateřina Chládková; Varghese Peter; Niels O Schiller; Paola Escudero

doi:10.1016/j.bandl.2017.07.001

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When speaker identity is unavoidable: Neural processing of speaker identity cues in natural speech

Journal article

Peer reviewed

When speaker identity is unavoidable: Neural processing of speaker identity cues in natural speech

Alba Tuninetti, Kateřina Chládková, Varghese Peter, Niels O Schiller and Paola Escudero

Brain and Language, Vol.174, pp.42-49

2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2017.07.001

PMID: 28715718

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Abstract

Linguistic Processes (incl. Speech Production and Comprehension)

Biological Psychology (Neuropsychology, Psychopharmacology, Physiological Psychology)

Speech

Normalization

Native vs nonnative

MMN

Speech perception

Speech sound acoustic properties vary largely across speakers and accents. When perceiving speech, adult listeners normally disregard non-linguistic variation caused by speaker or accent differences, in order to comprehend the linguistic message, e.g. to correctly identify a speech sound or a word. Here we tested whether the process of normalizing speaker and accent differences, facilitating the recognition of linguistic information, is found at the level of neural processing, and whether it is modulated by the listeners’ native language. In a multi-deviant oddball paradigm, native and nonnative speakers of Dutch were exposed to naturally-produced Dutch vowels varying in speaker, sex, accent, and phoneme identity. Unexpectedly, the analysis of mismatch negativity (MMN) amplitudes elicited by each type of change shows a large degree of early perceptual sensitivity to non-linguistic cues. This finding on perception of naturally-produced stimuli contrasts with previous studies examining the perception of synthetic stimuli wherein adult listeners automatically disregard acoustic cues to speaker identity. The present finding bears relevance to speech normalization theories, suggesting that at an unattended level of processing, listeners are indeed sensitive to changes in fundamental frequency in natural speech tokens.

Details

Title: When speaker identity is unavoidable: Neural processing of speaker identity cues in natural speech
Authors: Alba Tuninetti (Author) - Western Sydney University
Kateřina Chládková (Author) - University of Amsterdam
Varghese Peter (Author) - Western Sydney University
Niels O Schiller (Author) - Leiden University
Paola Escudero (Author) - Western Sydney University
Publication details: Brain and Language, Vol.174, pp.42-49
Publisher: Academic Press
DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2017.07.001
ISSN: 1090-2155
PMID: 28715718
Organisation Unit: School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health - Psychology
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99534307802621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Audiology & Speech-language Pathology; Linguistics; Neurosciences; Psychology, Experimental

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