Speech Science Forum 21st May Seminar Recording - Dr. Patti Adank
For those who were unable to make Dr. Patti Adank's 21st May talk, "Automatic Imitation of speech: mechanisms governing perception-production links", we are able to provide a live recording.
Talk Title: Automatic Imitation of speech: mechanisms governing perception-production links
Abstract:
We automatically and spontaneously imitate other people’s speech and other actions in daily interaction. An extensive neuroscience literature has demonstrated that observing people speak activates neural substrates associated with speech production, thus demonstrating the tight link between speech perception and production. We therefore automatically (and usually covertly) show an imitative response when observing other people’s speech. The link between a sensory stimulus and its associated response can be investigated using the Stimulus Response Compatibility (SRC) paradigm. It is assumed that the automatic imitative response upon action observation is due to overlapping representations between a stimulus and its associated response. This paradigm has been used in the last 20 years to study whether and how observed actions and their responses are linked to the action production system. In this talk, I will outline how we have applied the SRC paradigm to imitation of speech, with the ultimate aim of elucidating the conditions under which we imitate speech, as well as clarifying how speech production links to speech perception. I will discuss a series of behavioural studies using the SRC paradigm that investigated if we automatically imitate vowel stimuli, how presentation modality and emotional valence affect automatic imitation, and whether and how perception-production links for speech can be modified using training.
For a link to download the talk, please contact Dr. Antony Scott Trotter.
My research focuses on the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying the robustness and flexibility of human spoken language The acoustic speech signal is inherently variable, for instance due to background noise, differences in speakers’ anatomy and physiology, speaking style, regional or socio-economic background, or language background. Yet speech perception remains remarkably stable, and listeners are even able to quickly adapt to novel variation sources of the acoustic signal, such as a speaker’s foreign or regional accent.
I combine behavioural and neuroimaging research. My behavioural research consists of studies on speech perception and production and my neuroimaging research focuses on the neural bases of on-line adaptation in spoken language comprehension and production. Past neuroimaging studies have reported the involvement of neural bases for speech production in speech comprehension tasks. However, this involvement is only present under adverse listening conditions, such as speech in noise, or when the signal has been distorted, for instance by time-compressing it. In my research I test the possibility that this involvement of production regions is specific to on-line adaptation and learning and underlies the robustness of human speech comprehension. My present and future research uses traditional psycholinguistic paradigms, and functional neuroimaging methods such as fMRI, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.
Recently, I got interested in the role of vocal imitation in speech and am exploring the possibility that both overt and covert imitation may optimises speech perception.
Further information
Ticketing
Open
Cost
Free
Open to
All
Availability
Yes