What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to replicate previous findings on how frication and formant transitions influence fricative perception.

May 14, 2026

Hearing fricatives without frication: A conceptual replication of Shinn & Blumstein (1984)

Key Points

This research aims to replicate previous findings on how frication and formant transitions influence fricative perception.
Participants categorized CV syllables across three continua with varying formant transition durations and amplitude rise times.
The study utilized a paired categorization design with different block structures for stimuli presentation.
Participants heard only one of two vowels (/a/ or /i/) during the experiments.
The expected categorization findings were not replicated, with steep responses observed across all continua.
Longer formant transition durations induced more 'w' responses, showing ART can differentiate between 'b' and 'v' responses.
These results imply that formant details are crucial for fricative categorization and challenge the idea that manner is fixed.

Abstract

Consonant manner is thought to be perceptually robust, and fricatives categorized by frication. However, work on the /b/-/w/ contrast in American English [Shinn two pairs both containing all continua; or one pair of longerblocks containing all continua. Participants heard only one of two vowels (/a/ or /i/). Interim results do not replicate previous categorization findings: we report similarly steep responses across continua, contrasting with previous ceiling and floor effects for /b/- and /w/-amplitude continua. Free response findings do replicate, showing that longer TD induces “w” responses and ART delineates “b” and “v” responses. This suggests formant details are relevant for fricative category, and manner is more malleable after all.

Mark Helpful

Bookmark

Relay