Beyond the Iambic/Trochaic Law: Perceptual influences on subjective grouping of rhythmic speech

人类语言中的节奏通常表现为不同重音(重音)的音节重复配对，如地名Apalachicola(A-pa)(LA-chi)(CO-la)。由于这种二元组(脚)在语言中广泛存在，语言学家认为它们是语言韵律的重要组成部分。一种非常常见的音步类型(短音节)将两个短音节以开头的重音(Ba Ba)组合在一起，另一种常见类型(A Iamb)将短音节与紧随其后的长音节(Ba Baa)配对。语言学家假设，这些脚型在语言中的演变可能是由两个听觉感知原则塑造的，根据这两个原则，(I)对比音量的声音序列倾向于被感知为高音-声母组合(Trochee)，以及(Ii)对比持续时间的声音序列倾向于长尾组合(Iamb)。这些原则已经在分别测试音量和持续时间影响的研究中得到验证，这些研究主要使用非语音声音(例如，音调)。然而，人类语言更为复杂，因为强度(音量)和持续时间线索通常是一起变化的，而不是单独变化的。此外，其他声音特征，如声门化(喉音响声)，已知与语言中的重音分组相互作用，尽管这些线索对主观分组的影响尚未在言语知觉研究中用人类受试者进行测试。该项目通过一系列旨在研究这些问题的语音感知实验进行下一步的研究。首先，研究联合改变强度和持续时间对主观分组的影响。平行实验将研究不同声门化的影响，无论是单独的，还是与持续时间相结合的。为了研究基于所研究的特定特征的主观分组偏好是特定语言还是一般语言的问题，除了英语之外，还将对以(墨西哥)西班牙语和萨波泰克为母语的人进行有计划的实验。这项工作有望增进我们对影响分组认知活动的知觉特征如何帮助塑造人类语言方面的理解。

Rhythm in human languages is often expressed as repeated pairings of syllables with different emphasis (stress), as in the place name Apalachicola, (A-pa)(LA-chi)(CO-la). Because such binary groupings (feet) recur widely across languages, linguists view them as important building blocks of language prosody. One very common foot type (a trochee) combines two short syllables with initial emphasis (BA ba), and another common type (an iamb) pairs a short with a following long syllable, (ba baa). Linguists have hypothesized that the evolution of these foot types in language may have been shaped by two principles of auditory perception according to which (i) sound sequences that contrast volume tend to be perceived as loud-initial groupings (trochees), and (ii) sound sequences contrasting duration tend toward long-last groupings (iambs). These principles have been validated in studies that have tested the influence of volume and duration separately, using primarily non-speech sounds (for example, tones). However, human language is more complex in that intensity (volume) and duration cues generally vary together, not separately. Moreover, other sound features, for example glottalization (laryngeal creakiness), are known to interact with stress groupings in language, although the influence of these cues on subjective grouping has not been tested with human subjects in speech perception studies. This project takes the next step with a series of speech perception experiments designed to study these issues. First, the influence on subjective grouping of jointly varying intensity and duration will be studied. Parallel experiments will study the influence of varying glottalization both in isolation, and in combination with duration. To study the issue of whether subjective grouping preferences based on the specific features studied are language specific or general, planned experiments will be conducted with native speakers of (Mexican) Spanish and Zapotec in addition to English. This work is expected to advance our understanding of how perceptual features that influence the cognitive activity of grouping may have helped to shape aspects of human language.