Crosslanguage Differences in Tone Perception: a Multidimensional Scaling Investigation

Abstract

Using an individual differences multidimensional scaling model of perception, this crosslanguage investigation seeks to determine what dimensions underlie the perception of linguistic tone, and to what extent an individual's language background (Thai, Yoruba or American English) influences his perception. Dissimilarities data were obtained from subjects' paired-comparison judgments of 13 different pitch patterns superimposed on a synthetic speech-like syllable. A multidimensional scaling analysis of the data for the total group revealed that five dimensions - interpretively labeled, AVERAGE PITCH, DIRECTION, LENGTH, EXTREME ENDPOINT and SLOPE - best summarize the perceptual structure underlying the dissimilarities data. Language subgroup variation in relative importance of these dimensions appears to be primarily related to subgroup differences in the way pitch is used to convey linguistic information. Discriminant analysis showed that most individual speakers of a tone language (Thai or Yoruba) can be easily distinguished from speakers of a nontone language (English) on the basis of their distinctive patterns of perceptual saliency for these five dimensions. Regression analysis indicated that the DIRECTION and SLOPE dimensions closely correspond to certain earlier proposed binary distinctive features of tone.