Effects of Neighborhood Density on Vowel Space in Oral Reading and Picture Naming Tasks
Mow, Jessica L.
2015
- Abstract: This paper investigates a discrepancy in prior research in the area of speech production. Neighborhood density has been found to predict vowel dispersion; however, results have shown opposing effects. According to Munson and Solomon (2004), words with a higher neighborhood density are spoken with more vowel dispersion, while words with a lower neighborhood density will have more centralized ... read morevowels. However, Gahl, Yao, and Johnson (2012) found a correlation in the opposite direction. We predicted that the difference could be explained by the tasks used in each study. Munson and Solomon (2004) had participants read words, while Gahl et al. (2012) examined spontaneous speech using a corpus of natural, previously recorded speech. In the present study, participants were placed in two groups. Each group completed either an oral reading or picture naming task, in which participants were shown either all words or all pictures and read or named the items one by one into a microphone. Formants from the recorded speech were then analyzed to determine vowel space. Main effects were found for neighborhood density and frequency, and there was an interaction between neighborhood density and frequency. Group was not significant in either main effect or interaction; however, a 3-way interaction between the three variables was present but not significant. We conclude that task was not a determining variable in the difference between the two prior studies. New evidence released during the time of writing suggests other factors that may be a cause.read less
- ID:
- rr1728719
- Component ID:
- tufts:sd.0000325
- To Cite:
- TARC Citation Guide EndNote
