Perceptual learning and speech perception: A new hypothesis

Authors

  • Karen Banai Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2990-0470
  • Limor Lavie Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

Abstract

Perceptual learning for speech remains substantial even in older adults, but the functional significance of this observation is not well understood. It has been suggested that perceptual learning might serve to support listening in adverse conditions by promoting behavioural and neural plasticity, but this hypothesis is not consistent with the acoustic specificity of learning. Instead, we now suggest that in the context of speech perception, perceptual learning might be best viewed as one of the capacities that, like working memory, support speech perception in an on-line fashion. Consistent with this hypothesis, we present data that rapid perceptual learning of one speech task accounts for substantial individual differences in other speech tasks even after accounting for the potential correlations between different indices of speech perception.

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Additional Files

Published

2020-04-18

How to Cite

Banai, K., & Lavie, L. (2020). Perceptual learning and speech perception: A new hypothesis. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research, 7, 53–60. Retrieved from https://proceedings.isaar.eu/index.php/isaarproc/article/view/2019-07

Issue

Section

2019/2. Learning from natural sounds