Transitional probabilities and expectation for word length impact verbal statistical learning

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.00565

Abstract

Abstract:

Verbal statistical learning refers to the process in which an individual can track the transitional probability between syllables to achieve the segmentation of speech flow and the extraction of words. In this study, we used a mixed experiment design of 2(transitional probability: high transitional probability, low transitional probability) × 2(word length expectation: two-syllable, three-syllable) to investigate the effects of transitional probability and word length expectation on the learning of speech statistics; the transitional probability is the variable between the subjects, and the word length expectation is the variable within the subjects. The post-test showed that there was no significant learning effect only under the condition of three-syllable forced choice of artificial language with low transitional probability. The planned contrasts showed that after learning the artificial language with low transitional probability, the participants’ scores on the three-syllable forced test were significantly lower than those on the two-syllable forced choice task. In the three-syllable forced choice test, subjects’ scores of the artificial language with low transitional probability were also significantly lower than those with high transitional probability. These results showed that the transitional probability and word length expectation affected the individual statistical learning.

Key words: verbal statistical learning, word length expectation, transitional probabilities, prosody

YU Wenbo, WANG Lu, QU Xingfang, WANG Tianlin, ZHANG Jingjing, LIANG Dandan. (2021). Transitional probabilities and expectation for word length impact verbal statistical learning. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 53(6), 565-574.

Figures/Tables 6

References 59

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Syllables	Phonetic symbol	Syllables	Phonetic symbol	Syllables	Phonetic symbol	Target word	Nonword
nue	ny?	rua	?ua	mei	mei	nueruote	nuegeilai
ruo	?uo	dia	t?a	rou	?ou	liageirua	liafote
te	t??	fo	fo	se	s?	diafolai	diaruorua
lia	l?a	lai	la?			remei	rerou
gei	kei	re	??			rouse	meise

Syllables	Phonetic symbol	Syllables	Phonetic symbol	Syllables	Phonetic symbol	Target word	Nonword
nue	ny?	rua	?ua	mei	mei	nueruote	nuegeilai
ruo	?uo	dia	t?a	rou	?ou	liageirua	liafote
te	t??	fo	fo	se	s?	diafolai	diaruorua
lia	l?a	lai	la?			remei	rerou
gei	kei	re	??			rouse	meise

Independent variable	estimate	SE	t	p
Intercept distance	0.59	0.01	41.04	< 0.001**
TP	-0.02	0.01	-1.37	0.172
Word length expectations	0.02	0.01	1.42	0.157
TP × words length expectations	0.02	0.01	1.22	0.222

Independent variable	estimate	SE	t	p
Intercept distance	0.59	0.01	41.04	< 0.001**
TP	-0.02	0.01	-1.37	0.172
Word length expectations	0.02	0.01	1.42	0.157
TP × words length expectations	0.02	0.01	1.22	0.222

Independent variable	estimate	SE	t	p
Intercept distance	0.59	0.01	41.04	< 0.001**
Contrast 1	-0.08	0.04	-2.05	0.041*
Contrast 2	0.08	0.04	1.87	0.062
Contrast 3	0.08	0.04	1.97	0.049*