A Specialization for Speech Perception

The processes that underlie perception of consonants and vowels are specifically phonetic, distinct from those that localize sources and assign auditory qualities to the sound from each source. This specialization, or module, increases the rate of information flow, establishes the parity between sen...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1989-01, Vol.243 (4890), p.489-494
Main Authors: Liberman, Alvin M., Mattingly, Ignatius G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acoustic data
Acoustic echoes
Animal vocalization
Animals
Auditory perception
Auditory Perception - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Brain
Communication
Ears & hearing
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gestures
Humans
Language
Loudness
Oral communication
Perception
Perceptions
Phonetics
Production and perception of spoken language
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Sine waves
Speech
Speech perception
Speech Perception - physiology
Timbre
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The processes that underlie perception of consonants and vowels are specifically phonetic, distinct from those that localize sources and assign auditory qualities to the sound from each source. This specialization, or module, increases the rate of information flow, establishes the parity between sender and receiver that every communication system must have, and provides for the natural development of phonetic structures in the species and in the individual. The phonetic module has certain properties in common with modules that are ``closed'' (for example, sound localization or echo ranging in bats) and, like other members of this class, is so placed in the architecture of the auditory system as to preempt information that is relevant to its special function. Accordingly, this information is not available to such ``open'' modules as those for pitch, loudness, and timbre.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.2643163