speech cue weighting and Salience
a series of eeg and behavioural studies examining the cues that individuals pay attention to when listening to speech and music
about the studies
When listening to speech or music, individuals may use different strategies to pick out informative information, for example by selectively attending to different cues such as pitch or duration. Speech, for example, is a redundant signal that conveys information via multiple acoustic dimensions. In principle, therefore, speech perception could be carried out via multiple strategies. However, much prior research has focused on the optimal processing of the 'ideal listener', so little is known about what leads listeners to different strategies and how they are carried out. This group of studies examines the cues that individuals pay attention to when listening to speech and music. Some of this work also looks at the perceptual strategies underlying second language acquisition and seeks to better understand why some people struggle to learn a second language more than others. It is hoped that this work can lead to the development of interventions designed to boost poor second language learning.
how to participate
We are actively recruiting for a number of studies as part of the Speech Cues project. Below are the criteria for our open studies (for more studies check here). If you meet any of them, then we would love to hear from you!
Contact us for more information and to schedule a session.
"fMRI tonal language" in-lab brain imaging study (£20 in cash or course credits)
Native tonal language speakers (Mandarin or Cantonese)
Learned English as a second language at school
Living in the UK (or other English speaking countries) for less than 3 years
Aged 18-40
No hearing problems
"fMRI non-tonal language" in-lab brain imaging study (£20 in cash or course credits)
Native non-tonal language speakers (Spanish, French, Italian or Polish)
Learned English as a second language at school
Living in the UK (or other English speaking countries) for less than 3 years
Aged 18-40
No hearing problems
"SpeechCues Polish" in-lab EEG study (£10 in cash)
Native Polish speakers
Learned English as a second language at school
Lived in the UK or other English speaking countries for less than 2 years
Aged 18-40
No hearing problems
"SpeechCues English training" online study (£30 shoping voucher or course credits)
Native Mandarin Chinese speakers (not raised bilingual Cantonese)
Learned English as a second language at school
Living in the UK (or other English speaking countries) for less than 18 months
Aged 18-40
No hearing problems