August 3, 2015

August 3, 2015

Written by Maximus Peperkamp, M.S. Verbal Engineer

Dear Reader, 

This writing is my third response to “Talker-specific learning in speech perception” by L.C. Nygaard and D.B. Pisoni (1998). In the abstract the researcher state “We found that perceptual learning of novel voices from sentence-length utterances improved speech intelligibility for words in sentences. Generalization and transfer from voice learning to linguistic processing was found to be sensitive to the talker-specific information available during learning and test. These findings demonstrate that increased sensitivity to talker-specific information affects the perception of the linguistic properties of speech in isolated words and sentences.” 

The “talker-specific information” which “affects the perception of the linguistic properties of speech” is whether the speaker sounds good or not. If he or she doesn’t sound good, the listener is experiencing the negative effects of NVB, but if he or she sounds good, the listener is experiencing the positive effects of SVB. Moreover, as we know from the animal researchers Owren and Rendall, if the sender sounds good, he or she induces a positive affective experience in the listener, but if he or she sounds threatening, he or she induces a negative affective experience in the receiver. 

The fact that “Generalization and transfer from voice learning to linguistic processing was found to be sensitive to the talker-specific information available during learning and test” tells us that there is an important link between what we say and how we say it. We are, however, inclined to ignore this link, because we are used to NVB in which supposedly only the content matters. Even if listeners don’t realize this, they are always affected by how speakers speak, that is, by the speaker sounds. 

The listener’s “increased sensitivity to talker-specific information affects the perception of the linguistic properties of speech in isolated words and sentences.” Increased sensitivity in the listener depends very much on the talker; a NVB talker decreases and ignores the listener's sensitivity.