Effects of open-set and closed-set task demands on spoken word recognition.

Full Abstract

Closed-set tests of spoken word recognition are frequently used in clinical settings to assess the speech discrimination skills of hearing-impaired listeners, particularly children. Speech scientists have reported robust effects of lexical competition and talker variability in open-set tasks but not closed-set tasks, suggesting that closed-set tests of spoken word recognition may not be valid assessments of speech recognition skills. The goal of the current study was to explore some of the task demands that might account for this fundamental difference between open-set and closed-set tasks. In a series of four experiments, we manipulated the number and nature of the response alternatives. Results revealed that as more highly confusable foils were added to the response alternatives, lexical competition and talker variability effects emerged in closed-set tests of spoken word recognition. These results demonstrate a close coupling between task demands and lexical competition effects in lexical access and spoken word recognition processes.

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Author information

Author/s: Clopper, Cynthia G (CG); Pisoni, David B (DB); Tierney, Adam T (AT);

Affiliation: Department of Linguistics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.

Grants: T32 DC00012 (Agency:NIDCD NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Audiology (J Am Acad Audiol), published in Canada. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-May; vol 17 (issue 5) : pp 331-49

Dates: Created 2006/06/26; Completed 2006/11/02; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 16796300, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Analysis of Variance
Female
Humans
Male

Male
Speech Discrimination Tests - methods
Speech Intelligibility
Speech Perception - physiology
Task Performance and Analysis
Vocabulary

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