Skip to main content
Log in

A theory of speech perception

  • Published:
The bulletin of mathematical biophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A theory of speech perception based on evolutionary adaptive postulates is suggested. The principles are grouped around two categories: (a) the physical properties of the stimulus energy and its distributions in the environment; (b) the tendency of the sensory powers to become optimum in order to aid the survival of the species. The construction of the theory and the experiments performed to test its basic predictions are summarized. The theory is examined rather thoroughly with respect to basic vowel space. A line of generalization for the treatment of consonants is indicated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature

  • Chiba, T. and M. Kajiyama. 1958.The Vowel: Its Nature and Structure. Tokyo: Phonetic Society of Japan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowen, G. M. 1948. “Mazateco Whistle Speech.”Language,24 280–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delattre, P., A. M. Liberman, F. S. Cooper and L. J. Gerstman. 1952. “An Experimental Study of the Acoustic Determinants of Vowel Color: Observations on One- and Two-Formant Vowels Synthesized from Spectrographic Patterns.”Word,8, 195–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Valois, R. L., C. J. Smith, S. T. Kitai and A. J. Karoly. 1958. “Response of Single Cells in Monkey Lateral Geniculate Nucleus to Monochromatic Light.”Science,127, 238–239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fant, G. 1960.Acoustic Theory of Speech Production (With Calculations based on X-Ray Studies of Russian Articulations). The Hague: Mouton & Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helson, H. 1938. “Fundamental Problems in Color Vision. I. The Principle Governing Changes in Hue, Saturation, and Lightness of Non-selective Samples in Chromatic Illumination.”J. Exper. Psychol.,23, 439–476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsh, I. J. 1952.The Measurement of Hearing. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirsh, I. J. 1959. “Auditory Perception of Temporal Order.”J. Acoust. Soc. Amer.,31, 759–767.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Land, E. H. 1959. “Color Vision and the Natural Image. Part I”Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.,45, 115–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liberman, A. M. 1957. “Some Results of Research on Speech Perception.”J. Acoust. Soc. Amer.,29, 117–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, R. L. 1953. “Auditory Tests with Synthetic Vowels.”J. Acoust. Soc. Amer.,25, 114–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simpson, G. G. 1949.The Meaning of Evolution. New Haven & London: Yale Univeristy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, K. N. and A. S. House. 1961. “An Acoustical Theory of Vowel Production and Some of its Implications.”J. Speech Hear. Res.,4, 303–320.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, S. S. 1957. “On the Psychophysical Law.”Phys. Rev.,64, 153–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • — and J. Volkmann. 1940. “The Relation of Pitch to Frequency: A Revised Scale.”Amer. J. Psychol.,53, 329–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wald, G. 1964. “The Receptors of Human Color Vision”Science,145, 1007–1016.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yilmaz, H. 1962. “Color Vision and a New Approach to General Perception.” InBiological Prototypes and Synthetic Systems, Vol. I., E. E. Bernard and M. R. Kare, Eds. New York: Plenum Press, 126–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • —. 1963. “Some Experimental and Theoretical Studies on the Transmutability of Sense Perceptions.” Arthur D. Little, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, unpublished report.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1964a. “On the Laws of Psychophysics.”Bull. Math. Biophysics,26, 235–237.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1964b. “On the Pitch of the Residue.” Institute for Perception Research, Eindhoven, Netherlands, Report No. 41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yilmaz, H. 1967. “Perceptual Invariance and the Psychophysical Law.”Perception and Psychophys., forthcoming.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yilmaz, H. A theory of speech perception. Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics 29, 793–825 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02476929

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02476929

Keywords

Navigation