Hearing, speech perception

Question 1

3 stages of speech chain> (3)

Answer 1

1>how speech is produced–>articulatory phonetics
2>how speech is recorded–>acoustic phonetics; phonetics transcription
3>how do people listen to speech–>speech perception; auditory phonetics

Question 2

hearing & perception>

Answer 2

-pitch as perceptual construct (related to f0 but not direct correspondent)
-filtration of background noise (our perceptual system can filter loud background noise)

Question 3

What anatomy is are perception effects on hearing related to?>

Answer 3

some related to ear processing; some related to how brain processes sounds

Question 4

peripheral auditory system=

Answer 4

auditory system which is not the brain

Question 5

peripheral auditory system>summary of stages>

Answer 5

1>sound travels down ear canal>eardrum
2>eardrum moves in response to pressure fluctuations

Question 6

3 bones in middle ear>

Answer 6

-malleus (hamemr)
-incus (anvil)
-stapes (stirrup)

Question 7

Cochlea filtering process> (summary)

Answer 7

1>cochlea is filled with fluid & cells which convert pressure fluctuations into electrical signals (which go to brain)
2>different parts of cochlea resonate to different frequency components depending on membrane thickness
3>sound is broken down into different frequency bands

Question 8

more in-depth cochlea filtering process>

Answer 8

1>sound as pressure vibrations in air (travel>external auditory canal>eardrum)
2>pressure fluctuations make the ear drum vibrate
3>ear drum connected to malleus
4>this transmits sound vibrations through the bones (incus>stapes>) >the cochlea
5>’organs or corti’ in cochlea have tiny hair cells which translate vibrations>electrical impulse (that are carried to brain)
6>depends on membrane thickness, how frequency bands are broken down

Question 9

percetptions of loudness

Answer 9

• perceived loudness as not the same as pressure fluctuation in the air
  -the auditory system COMPRESSRS some amplitude, so we can hear a greater range

Question 10

pascals used for=

Answer 10

measuring air pressure

Question 11

decibels=

Answer 11

non linear scale approximating perceived loudness

Question 12

sones=

Answer 12

an entirely PERCEPTUAL scale

Question 13

decibels vs sones vs pascals>

Answer 13

-pascals as 10x increase
-decibel as +20 increase
-sone as 4x increase

Question 14

decibel scale features>

Answer 14

-increases at greater rate at LOWER end of scale; increases less as goes on
-as reaches around [1,000,000Pa] scale flattens out as hard to distinguish (just noisy)

Question 15

evolutionary reasons for non-linear perception of loudness>

Answer 15

-survival–>environment vs food/animal sounds

Question 16

perception of pitch>

Answer 16

• response of inner ear to different frequencies is non-linear
• inner ear more sensitive to lower frequencies

Question 17

cochlear implants=

Answer 17

designed to mimic human functions of ear

Question 18

cochlear implants-how works? process=

Answer 18

1>sound travels to ear & ‘sound processor’ (which sits behind ear)
2>microphones on sound processor pick up sounds
3>processor converts this to digital info
4>info transferred to implant under skin
5>implant sends digital sound signals down electrode>cochlea
6>hearing nerve fibres in cochlea pick up signals & send>brain

Question 19

new def for phonolgoy according to sign lang=

Answer 19

meaningless units used in combination

Question 20

stokoe 1960 findings>

Answer 20

-demstrated that signs in ASL are made up of ABSTRACT PARAMETERS (parallel to phonemes) which can be substituted to build different meanings & signs

Question 21

stokoe 1960- what parameters did he propose for distinguishing minimal pairs in signs?>

Answer 21

-3 parameters he proposed:
>hand configuration
>location
>movement

Question 22

original vs current proposal on sequential vs simultaneous processing in signs>

Answer 22

original: all signs NOT processed sequentially but simultaneously
now: some sequentially (hand configuration & location associated with timing of gestures); but also simultaneous sign perception

Question 23

non-dominant hand signs types of use>

Answer 23

• can be used to continue subj of conversation while commentary is provided
• symmetrical signs (mirrors dominant hand)
  -static & meeting (hand is static & place mirrors dominant hand)

Question 24

prosody of sign language>

Answer 24

movements in sign considered to be SYLLABLES
>emphasis–>magnitude of gesture & eyebrows
>sentence structure–>expressed by clusters of prosodic markers (head tilt, eyebrow lowering, shoulder lowering, large intake of breath)

Question 25

what acts as evidence for prosodic markers in sign?

Answer 25

evidence from signers perceptions of interpreters signing
assumption that interpreters would need to OVER emphasis prosodic markers (for clarity)

Question 26

what groups of words have a lot of variation across worlds sign langs?.

Answer 26

numbers

Question 27

B,,2002 hand signs in US for no1>

Answer 27

> found variation along sociolinguistic dimension such as age, relgiion & ethnicitiy
found phonetic context effects

Question 28

Black ASL features>*(in comaprison to ASL)

Answer 28

-larger signing space
-greater use of 2 handed signs
-lowered from forehead to cheek
-some individual word variation (christmas, children, hurt, curious)

Question 29

what is black ASL?>

Answer 29

a dialect of ASL developed out of race segregation in america

Question 30

phonotactile phonology=

Answer 30

deafblind signers can use sign lang through touch or touch-lip read spoken lang (e.g. touching arm, as nodding)

Question 31

‘reciprocal tactile communication channels’ (protactile)=

Answer 31

where deafblind people come together to communicate with each other

Question 32

protactile lang in US phonology=

Answer 32

based on touch movement, location & pressure

Question 33

other protactile communication can be adapted from=

Answer 33

finger spelling

Question 34

famous Deafblind communicator>

Answer 34

helen keller
>lost sight & hearing after illnes (19 months)
>learnt to communciate via touch, braille, touch-lip read & speak

Question 35

sign langs & iconity>

Answer 35

-sign langs tend to have a higher level of iconicity than spoken langs
-units can also be abstract & combine to form new concepts whhich is the pre-condition of phonological structure

Question 36

sign langs summary of features>

Answer 36

-have a phonologcial structure
-provides another perspective into human lang
-can challenge preconceptions of phonetics & phonology
-can challenge notions of how phonology develops