Integration of segmental and tonal information in speech perception: A cross-linguistic study

Abstract

For speakers of a tone language, a close functional association exists between segmental structure and F0 contour (i.e., tone) in speech because both dimensions are needed to identify words. Using the speeded classification paradigm, which does not require lexical access, the hypothesis that segmental and tonal dimensions are perceptually more strongly integrated for speakers of a tone language (Mandarin Chinese) than for speakers of a nontone language (English) was examined. In four classification tasks, requiring attention to one dimension (either segmental or tonal) of CV syllables while ignoring the other, both subject groups showed strong interference from orthogonal variation in the unattended dimension. The Chinese subjects showed significantly more interference than the English subjects in only one of the four tasks (vowel classification with irrelevant tonal variation). These findings thus provide only weak evidence of differences between Chinese and English speakers in the perceptual integrality of segments and tones. [Work supported by NICHD.]