Speech Science Forum - Julien Plante-Hébert (UQAM)

Abstract:

The study of the processing of speaker identity in the human brain can be relevant, among other things, to clinical cases and commercial development but also to forensic applications. This daily-used ability remains, however, broadly unexplored in comparison with its visual counterpart (visual identity processing). Consequently, confusion regarding the intuitive distinction between the processes underlying speaker recognition and identification often persists in the literature. In this talk, we will examine and discuss electrophysiological findings attesting the distinction between both processes. The event-related potential (ERP) results presented will also allow to differentiate the recognition of previously heard voices from unknown speakers and that of actual intimately familiar speakers. Forensic applications of these findings will be discussed.​