Shape, Scaling, and Alignment Effects in the Production and Perception of F0 Events


Special Session, Speech Prosody 2010

The structure of intonation systems turns to a great extent on contrasting patterns of tone scaling and tonal timing. Implementing these patterns, in terms of production and perception, requires the ability to localize F0 events both in time, and in fundamental frequency space. In AM intonation models, this is usually construed as involving the alignment and scaling of F0 turning points (maxima, minima, “elbows”). Recent research has uncovered much systematicity in the alignment and scaling of F0 turning points. These patterns, what is more, have demonstrated consequences for the perception of contrasting F0 patterns. Still, this approach encounters difficulties as stand-alone model of “what matters” in the production and perception of intonational contrasts. For example, perceptual studies have demonstrated that various aspects of global contour shape also strongly influence listener categorizations of intonational events. This Special Session will present recent findings in this vein, and address the question of how these new findings can be integrated into a more comprehensive model of the relationship between the F0 contour of a spoken utterance, its intonational targets, and its temporal relationship to the segmental and lexical structure of the speech signal, taking cross-language similarities and differences into account.

Papers for this special session are now listed in the conference program.

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