Language and Speech

Past research has developed the " probe-latency technique " for assessing the structure of linguistic inputs. Results to date indicate that the probe-latency structure is primarily a function of syntactic relations in the input and is relatively independent of semantic characteristics of the stimulus material. The " question technique ", a second operational method, was developed as an approach to semantic processing. A study using both techniques is described in detail. The results of this study indicate that the question technique has promise as an approach to semantic processes. The study also gives further confirmation to the independence of semantic from syntactic processes.

An investigation is described of the perceptual and acoustical differences between voiceless and voiced consonants in Dutch. The experiments reported included synthesized, normal and whispered speech. The results are compared with those found in the literature for other languages. Parallels between the results of the various investigations could be established, although quantitative differences apply to different languages.

It is shown that a number of perceptual and acoustical cues are present, such as: sound intensity and duration of fricative noise, duration of the consonant and duration of the preceding vowel, voicing and the moment of voice onset, intonation pattern and amplitude as well as duration and frequency range of the formant transitions of the adjoining vowels.

To establish a connection between these parameters an articulatory model of the difference voiced-voiceless is proposed. Essential features in the construction of this model are the observed acoustical symptoms and physiological data as reported in the literature. The model is based on the assumption that the difference voiced-voiceless is due to the presence or absence of activity of the pharyngeal constrictor muscle.

This muscle influences the volume of the pharynx and the position of the larynx, and consequently the pressure drop across the glottis and the vibration condition of the vocal cords.

A study is made of one patient's aphasic jargon. His case history is reviewed and attention is drawn to the effects of Dilantin. The data consist of eleven tape recorded interviews and are submitted to phonological and grammatical analysis. The course of the patient's recovery indicates a decrease in distorted forms, no significant change in content-nouns, and an increase in verbs and indefinite noun phrases. Possibilities for further study are suggested.

Normative data on the speaking fundamental frequency characteristics (SFF) of 467 post-adolescent girls are presented—160 from the present study combined with 307 from previous research by Michel, Hollien and Moore (the two groups were combined to provide a representative experimental population). The mean fundamental frequencies for the three age groups studied were found to be 215.7, 213.9 and 211.5 c.p.s. respectively. These data are in general agreement with those of similar studies for other age groups and would indicate that most girls probably (1) undergo voice change before the fifteenth year and (2) attain reasonably stable adult voices during the immediate post-pubescent period.

In a sample of 124 middle class children and 139 working class children aged five years, it has been shown that significantly more working class children use items of exophoric reference, particularly third-person pronouns, while significantly more middle class children use parts of speech associated with the noun. The conclusions support Bernstein's theory of 'restricted' and ' elaborated ' codes.