Acoustic cues and listening strategies for phoneme perception

This research axis builds upon the recent development of the « Auditory Classification Image » method to explore the mechanisms underlying phoneme comprehension. By analyzing fine-grained spectrotemporal patterns in noise-masked speech, this project bridges psychoacoustics, cognitive modeling, and linguistic theory, offering unprecedented insights into how listeners decode phonetic information.

A counterintuitive discovery is the « microscopic effect » of noise: random fluctuations in background noise can systematically bias phoneme categorization. For instance, specific noise patterns in critical spectrotemporal regions may illusionarily shift perception toward one phoneme, even in the absence of this phoneme. This phenomenon suggests that noise does not merely degrade signals but actively interacts with perceptual templates, introducing « illusory » phonetic features.

Our findings have also confirmed that phoneme perception relies on rather than single invariant features. These findings align with classical phonetic theories but extend them by quantifying cue hierarchies and demonstrating context-dependent flexibility. The Auditory Classification Image high spectrotemporal resolution also revealed previously overlooked cues, such as the role of the first formant transitions in place-of-articulation judgments.

Another striking outcome is the heterogeneity of listening strategies across individuals. While all listeners prioritize primary cues, secondary cues may or may not be used depending on context. This variability challenges the notion of universal phonetic templates and suggests that phoneme perception is dynamic and listener-specific.

For a detailed summary of this research (in French), see my .

Administrative details

Collaborators: Alejandro Osses, Maria Giavazzi

Fundings:

NSCo Doctoral School, L. Varnet’s thesis scholarship (2012-2015)

Agence Nationale de la Recherche, projet ANR-20-CE28-0004 « Exploration des représentations phonétiques et de leur adaptabilité par la méthode des Images de Classification Auditive rapides » (2021-2023)

Selected publications and presentations:

English

Identification of acoustic cues for stop consonants

Microscopic effect of noise on speech perception

Individual listening strategies

Scientific outreach:

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