Abstract
This study's aim was to determine if 6- and 9-month-old infants discriminate approximants and vowels when the spectral shape is modified to emphasize high- or low-frequency information. Infants were presented with /r/-/l/ and /ɔ/-/ɐ/ in three conditions: (a) unmodified; (b) -6 dB/octave tilt; and (c) +6 dB/octave tilt. Six-month-olds discriminated /ɔ/-/ɐ/ in conditions (a) and (b), and /r/-/l/ in conditions (a) and (c), but 9-month-olds only discriminated when unmodified. The results reflect native-language attunement. Six-month-olds discriminate spectrally modified sounds that emphasize relevant cues, but by 9 months, infants are sensitive to the native spectral profiles of speech.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | EL352-EL358 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of the Acoustical Society of America |
Volume | 138 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Sep 2015 |
Externally published | Yes |