Doctoral Dissertation Research: Units of orthographic complexity and their influence in speech production

读写能力是如何影响语言的？有证据表明，一个声音的书面形式中符号的数量会影响这个声音产生的时间，即使没有明确的书面形式。例如，英语单词“tic”、“click”和“clique”的尾音/k/分别由1、2和3个字母表示。当人们发这些词的时候，“click”的尾音/k/比“tic”的尾音/k/要长。而“clique”的最后一个/k/音产生的时间更长。因此，有一种假设认为，在其他条件相同的情况下，随着书面形式的复杂性增加，相关语音的持续时间也会增加。这种现象与语言产生的一些模型不一致，这些模型认为书面信息不应该影响言语，特别是当书面信息没有明确呈现时。此外，目前尚不清楚究竟哪种类型的书面信息会影响言语持续时间，因为人们对这种影响的机制存在分歧。一些人认为声音和文字符号之间的关系是这种影响的基础。另一些人则认为，视觉信息本身的数量与声音的联系无关，是造成这些持续时间差异的原因。这项研究考察了声音、符号和言语持续时间之间的关系，以加深我们对哪些类型的书面信息可以改变言语模式的理解。解决这个问题将为人类语言产生的理论模型提供信息。此外，通过本研究收集的数据可以整合到计算语音合成和语音识别系统中，以获得更准确、鲁棒和自然的人类语音模型。该领域之前的研究面临的一个挑战是，它依赖于自然语音数据，其中包括许多个体的外部因素，这些因素会影响书面形式之外的语音持续时间（例如词频）。为了更好地控制这些变量，目前的研究将采用一个为期三天的小说单词学习实验，在这个实验中，参与者学习一组新颖的非单词同音异义词以及几种新颖的书写系统中的一种。在一组中，新的同音异义词在语音上是相同的，但书写方式不同。同音异义字的书写复杂度可能因以下因素而异：a)完整字符的数量；B)笔画数；C)具有语音关联的成分数量；D)没有语音关联的成分数。参与者将在没有书面形式明确呈现的情况下，在一个图片命名任务中说出所学的单词。与会者的发言将被记录下来，演讲时间将被测量。将比较一组文字系统中同音异义词之间的持续时间，以确定：a)即使书面形式没有明确存在，是否增加的书写复杂性也会影响持续时间；B)哪些类型的书面信息可能影响持续时间，以及书面复杂性是否必须有语音关联才能影响言语；c)在训练过程中的哪一点，语言模式会发生变化，以及这些模式是否会持续到实验结束。这些数据将构成博士论文的一部分。论文的早期部分研究了日语使用者在书面字符复杂性方面的类似持续现象。为了与以前的数据集保持一致，保留比较当前研究结果与论文早期数据的能力，并提供在当前研究中复制先前发现的机会，当前研究的参与者将是母语为日语的人。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

How does literacy impact speech? There is evidence that the number of symbols in the written form of a sound can influence how long that sound is produced, even when a written form is not explicitly present. For example, the final /k/ sounds in the English words "tic", "click", and "clique" are represented by 1, 2, and 3 letters, respectively. When people produce these words, the final /k/ of "click" is produced longer than than the final /k/ of "tic". And the final /k/ of "clique" is produced longer still. Therefore, it has been hypothesized that as the complexity of a written form increases, so too does the speech duration of the associated sound, all else being equal. This phenomenon is inconsistent with some models of language production which argue that written information should not influence speech, especially when written information is not explicitly present. Additionally, it remains unclear exactly which types of written information can influence speech duration as there is disagreement about the mechanisms that drive this effect. Some argue the relationship between sounds and written symbols underlie this effect. Others argue the amount of visual information itself regardless of any connection to sounds is driving these duration differences. This study examines the relationship between sounds, symbols, and speech duration to develop our understanding of what types of written information can alter speech patterns. Addressing this question will inform theoretical models of human speech production. Additionally, data collected through this research can be incorporated into computational speech synthesis and speech recognition systems for more accurate, robust, and natural models of human speech. A challenge of previous research in this area was that it relied upon natural speech data which includes many external factors across individuals that can influence speech duration outside of written forms (e.g. word frequency). To gain greater control of these variables, the current study will employ a three-day novel-word-learning experiment in which participants learn sets of novel non-word homophones along with one of several novel writing systems. Novel homophones in a set are learned as the same word phonologically but are written distinctly. Written complexity for homophones may vary by: a) number of whole characters; b) number of pen strokes; c) number of components with phonological associations; d) number of components without phonological associations. Participants will produce learned words in a picture-naming task without written forms explicitly present. Participants' production will be recorded and speech duration will be measured. Duration among homophones in a set and across writing systems will be compared to determine: a) if increased written complexity influences duration even when written forms are not explicitly present; b) which types of written information may influence duration and whether written complexity must have a phonological association to influence speech; and c) at which point in the training process speech patterns change and whether these patterns persist through the end of the experimental period. This data will comprise a portion of the doctoral dissertation. An earlier portion of the dissertation investigated similar durational phenomenon in Japanese speakers in regards to written character complexity. To remain consistent with previous data set, retain the ability to compare results from the current study with earlier data in the dissertation, and provide the opportunity to replicate previous findings in the current study, participants for the current study will be native Japanese speakers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.