Neural inhibition during speech planning contributes to contrastive hyperarticulation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a neural model explaining contrastive hyperarticulation as a result of neural inhibition during speech planning, supported by experiments on pseudowords showing reduced hyperarticulation compared to real words.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel dynamic neural field model linking neural inhibition to contrastive hyperarticulation during speech planning, supported by experimental evidence.

Findings

Contrastive hyperarticulation occurs in pseudowords, but is less pronounced than in real words.

Neural inhibition influences speech planning, affecting hyperarticulation.

The model potentially unifies various speech phenomena, including phonological and phonetic effects.

Abstract

Previous work has demonstrated that words are hyperarticulated on dimensions of speech that differentiate them from a minimal pair competitor. This phenomenon has been termed contrastive hyperarticulation (CH). We present a dynamic neural field (DNF) model of voice onset time (VOT) planning that derives CH from an inhibitory influence of the minimal pair competitor during planning. We test some predictions of the model with a novel experiment investigating CH of voiceless stop consonant VOT in pseudowords. The results demonstrate a CH effect in pseudowords, consistent with a basis for the effect in the real-time planning and production of speech. The scope and magnitude of CH in pseudowords was reduced compared to CH in real words, consistent with a role for interactive activation between lexical and phonological levels of planning. We discuss the potential of our model to unify an apparently disparate set of phenomena, from CH to phonological neighborhood effects to phonetic trace effects in speech errors.