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Cited by 2,154Phonetics and Phonology ResearchLanguage Development and DisordersCategorization, perception, and language

Speech perception in infants

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Eimas, Peter D., Siqueland, Einar R., Jusczyk, Peter, Vigorito, James·1971·Science
DOI 10.1126/science.171.3968.303
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Abstract

Discrimination of synthetic speech sounds was studied in 1- and 4-month-old infants. The speech sounds varied along an acoustic dimension previously shown to cue phonemic distinctions among the voiced and voiceless stop consonants in adults. Discriminability was measured by an increase in conditioned response rate to a second speech sound after habituation to the first speech sound. Recovery from habituation was greater for a given acoustic difference when the two stimuli were from different adult phonemic categories than when they were from the same category. The discontinuity in discrimination at the region of the adult phonemic boundary was taken as evidence for categorical perception.

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  • Infants initially hear all phonetic differences.

    “An important discovery in the 1970s was that infants initially hear all these phonetic differences (Eimas, 1975; Eimas et al., 1971; Lasky et al., 1975; Werker and Lalonde, 1988).”

    From Brain mechanisms in early language acquisition (2010) · cites this paper as Eimas et al., 1971

    The paper’s abstract (section “Speech Perception in Infants”; page unavailable) reports that 1- and 4-month-old infants discriminated synthetic speech sounds across a voiced–voiceless stop-consonant boundary. That supports early sensitivity to a phonetic difference, but the study tested one acoustic dimension, voice onset time, and does not establish that infants initially hear all phonetic differences. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Infants discriminate only between stimuli from different phonetic categories.

    “Infants discriminated only between stimuli from different phonetic categories (12–14).”

    From A new view of language acquisition (2000) · cites this paper as [12]

  • The initial perceptual biases shown by infants in tests of categorical perception, as well as asymmetries in perception seen in infancy, produce a contouring of the perceptual space that is universal.

    “The important point regarding development is that the initial perceptual biases shown by infants in tests of categorical perception (12–16), as well as asymmetries in perception seen in infancy (80, 81), produce a contouring of the perceptual space that is universal.”

    From A new view of language acquisition (2000) · cites this paper as [12]

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Research works printed but not linked: 54

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Authors
Eimas, P. D., Siqueland, E. R., Jusczyk, P., & Vigorito, J.
Affiliations
Brown University (US)
Venue
Science
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Published
1971-01-22
Volume
171
Issue
3968
Pages
303-306
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
DOI
10.1126/science.171.3968.303
OpenAlex
W2011238950
Cited by
2,154
References
11
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 61 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 81 · 2021: 51 · 2020: 100 · 2019: 76 · 2018: 118 · 2017: 56 · 2016: 63 · 2015: 54 · 2014: 52 · 2013: 94 · 2012: 50
FWCI
37.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
other-oa
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Phonetics and Phonology Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Categorization, perception, and language
Keywords
infant speech perception, categorical perception, phoneme discrimination, voiced and voiceless stops, acoustic cues, habituation-dishabituation, infant language development
MeSH terms
Age Factors, Auditory Perception, Humans, Infant, Phonetics, Speech, Sucking Behavior

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