Perceptual constraints in phonotactic learning

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance
Ansgar D Endress, Jacques Mehler

Abstract

Structural regularities in language have often been attributed to symbolic or statistical general purpose computations, whereas perceptual factors influencing such generalizations have received less interest. Here, we use phonotactic-like constraints as a case study to ask whether the structural properties of specific perceptual and memory mechanisms may facilitate the acquisition of grammatical-like regularities. Participants learned that the consonants C and C had to come from distinct sets in words of the form CVccVC (where the critical consonants were in word edges) but not in words of the form cVCCVc (where the critical consonants were in word middles). Control conditions ruled out attentional or psychophysical difficulties in word middles. Participants did, however, learn such regularities in word middles when natural consonant classes were used instead of arbitrary consonant sets. We conclude that positional generalizations may be learned preferentially using edge-based positional codes, but that participants can also use other mechanisms when other linguistic cues are given.

Citations

Feb 6, 2014·Journal of Experimental Child Psychology·Anna Samara, Markéta Caravolas
Nov 8, 2014·Journal of Memory and Language·Amélie Bernard
May 18, 2011·Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition·Aaron D Mitchel, Daniel J Weiss
Aug 25, 2015·Animal Cognition·Jiani ChenCarel ten Cate
Mar 25, 2011·Cognitive Science·Katrin Skoruppa, Sharon Peperkamp
Sep 2, 2014·Child Development·Silvia Benavides-Varela, Jacques Mehler
Nov 3, 2016·The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology : QJEP·Katherine S WhiteVibhuti Jethava
Sep 8, 2017·Royal Society Open Science·Piera FilippiW Tecumseh Fitch
Sep 26, 2020·Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR·Françoise Brosseau-LapréKeith R Kluender
Dec 3, 2016·Cognitive Psychology·Ansgar D Endress, Alan Langus

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