Cognitive processes underlying spoken word recognition during soft speech

Hendrickson, Kristi; Spinelli, Jessica B.; Walker, Elizabeth

doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104196

Cited by 34 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Supplemental analyses of rhymes using coarser measures also indicate that CI users are activating rhymes to a greater extent than NH listeners. These three findings look a lot like the "wait-and-see" pattern described earlier for prelingually deaf children , and for NH listeners hearing substantially degraded input (Hendrickson et al, 2020;. This is surprising given the population tested here which is a fairly close match to that of this prior work.…”

Section: Vs Nh Listenerssupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Then when lexical access begins, they may have already heard some information that can rule out competitors. A similar pattern was also observed in NH listeners hearing severely degraded speech (4-channel vocoding) suggesting this is a general change and not unique to prelingually deaf listeners (and see Hendrickson, Spinelli, & Walker, 2020).…”

Section: Cochlear Implantssupporting

confidence: 69%

“…This is at least in part a lexical phenomenon (McMurray et al, 2016) and may be adaptive (McMurray et al, 2019). However, when the listening scenario is very difficult, listeners "wait-and-see"they delay lexical activation substantially and, as a result, down-weight onset competitors and up-weight rhyme competitors Hendrickson et al, 2020). However, even for those listeners who experience relatively reliable signals, slight delays could lead to problems when it comes to processing real world language input.…”

Section: Cochlear Implantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lexical Access Changes Based on Listener Needs: Real-Time Word Recognition in Continuous Speech in Cochlear Implant Users

Fx¹,

McMurray²

2020

Preprint

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ObjectivesOne key challenge in word recognition is the temporary ambiguity in the signal created by the fact that speech unfolds over time. Research with normal hearing (NH) listeners reveals that this temporary ambiguity is resolved through incremental processing of the signal and competition among possible lexical candidates. Post-lingually deafened cochlear implant (CI) users show similar incremental processing and competition to NH listeners but with slight delays. However, even brief delays could lead to drastic changes when compounded across multiple words in a sentence. This study asks whether words presented in non-informative sentence contexts are processed differently than words presented in isolation and whether any differences are shared among NH listeners and CI users or if the groups exhibit different patterns.DesignAcross two visual world paradigm experiments, listeners heard words presented either in isolation or in non-informative sentence contexts (“click on the…”). Listeners selected the picture corresponding to the target word from among four items including the target word (e.g., mustard), a cohort competitor (e.g., mustache), a rhyme competitor (e.g., custard), and an unrelated item (e.g., penguin). During this task, eye movements were tracked as an index of the relative lexical activation of each object type during word recognition. Subjects included 65 CI users and 48 NH controls across both experiments. ResultsBoth CI users and the NH controls were largely accurate at recognizing the words both in sentence contexts and in isolation. The time course of lexical activation (indexed by the fixations) differed substantially between groups. CI users were delayed in fixating the target relative to NH controls. Additionally, CI users showed less competition from cohorts (while previous studies have often found increased competition) compared to NH controls. However, CI users took longer to suppress the cohort and suppressed it less fully than the NH controls. For both CI users and NH controls, embedding words in sentences led to more immediacy in lexical access as observed by increases in cohort competition relative to when words were presented in isolation. However, CI users were not differentially affected by the sentencesConclusionsUnlike prior work, in both sentences and in isolated words CI users appeared to exhibit “wait-and-see” strategy, in which lexical access is delayed to minimize early competition. However, they simultaneously sustain competitor activation late in the trial possibly to preserve flexibility. This hybrid profile has not been observed previously. Both CI users and NH controls more heavily weight early information when target words are presented in sentence contexts. However, CI users (but not NH listeners) also commit less fully to the target when words are presented in sentence context potentially keeping options open if they need to recover from a misperception. This mix of patterns reflects a lexical system that is extremely flexible and adapts to fit the needs of a listener.

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Section: Vs Nh Listenerssupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Cochlear Implantssupporting

confidence: 69%

Section: Cochlear Implantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lexical Access Changes Based on Listener Needs: Real-Time Word Recognition in Continuous Speech in Cochlear Implant Users

Fx¹,

McMurray²

2020

Preprint

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“…Words were presented at three different intensities, one corresponding to conversational speech (65 dBA) and two levels of soft speech (50 dBA and 40 dBA). Based on pilot data and a previous speech perception study with adults, these sound levels are typical of those heard in natural listening environments and are loud enough to ensure participants would not simply guess (Hendrickson et al, 2020). The 22 total sets were repeated twice per condition resulting in 528 trials (22 item-sets 9 4 items/ set 9 3 sound levels 9 2 repetitions).…”

Section: Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More recent research with adults suggests that these adverse conditions fundamentally change how spoken words are recognized. For instance, the presence of background noise or slightly soft speech (~50 dBA) causes reduced and sustained activation for cohort and/or rhyme competitors (Ben‐David et al, 2011; Brouwer & Bradlow, 2016; Hendrickson, Spinelli, & Walker, 2020). When confronted with more egregious listening conditions, such as noise‐vocoded or low‐intensity speech (~40 dBA), adults take a wait‐and‐see approach by reducing activation for cohorts and increasing activation for rhymes (Hendrickson et al, 2020; McMurray, Farris‐Trimble, & Rigler, 2017; McQueen & Huettig, 2012).…”

Section: Theories Of Spoken Word Recognitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

School‐Age Children Adapt the Dynamics of Lexical Competition in Suboptimal Listening Conditions

2021

Self Cite

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Although the ability to understand speech in adverse listening conditions is paramount for effective communication across the life span, little is understood about how this critical processing skill develops. This study asks how the dynamics of spoken word recognition (i.e., lexical access and competition) change during soft speech in 8-to 11-year-olds (n = 26). Lexical competition and access for speech at lower intensity levels was measured using eye-tracking and the visual world paradigm. Overall the results suggest that soft speech influences the magnitude and timing of lexical access and competition. These results suggest that lexical competition is a cognitive process that can be adapted in the school-age years to help cope with increased uncertainty due to alterations in the speech signal. The authors whose names are listed immediately above certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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Sensation and Perception

Proctor

2006

Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics

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Cognitive processes underlying spoken word recognition during soft speech

Cited by 34 publications

References 40 publications

Lexical Access Changes Based on Listener Needs: Real-Time Word Recognition in Continuous Speech in Cochlear Implant Users

Lexical Access Changes Based on Listener Needs: Real-Time Word Recognition in Continuous Speech in Cochlear Implant Users

School‐Age Children Adapt the Dynamics of Lexical Competition in Suboptimal Listening Conditions

Sensation and Perception

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