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Phonological categories are generally defined by multiple acoustic dimensions. Recent studies have found that listeners of the same gender and dialect group give differential weighting to dimensions in phonetic categorization. What factors govern the differences between individuals remain a largely unanswered question. Variability may stem from differences in individual perceptual experience or the influence of some contrast-independent cognitive mechanism that modulates speech processing strategies. This study examines the relationship between perceptual behaviors across three categorization tasks concerning three sets of phonological contrasts in English (i.e. the effects of VOT and f0 on voicing identification, the effects of spectral and duration information […]

Abstract The study of iconicity, defined as the direct relationship between a linguistic form and its referent, has gained momentum in recent years. In the spoken modality, there is abundant evidence showing that iconicity is a key factor that facilitates acquisition. However, when we look at sign languages, which excel in the prevalence of iconic structures, there is a more mixed picture. While the first studies investigating first language (L1) acquisition report a null or negative effect of iconicity, recent studies show that it may be a key factor that facilitates lexical development in deaf children. Similarly, studies exploring the acquisition […]